Mission to Galadan
by Leela Starsky
Summary: Set four months after A New Hope. A rebel operative, investigating the Empire's sudden interest in the planet Galadan has gone missing. Their assistance bought by the Rebellion, Han and Chewie find themselves guiding Luke and Leia through the jungle world, to discover not entirely welcome help in the most unexpected places.
1. Chapter 1

**MISSION TO GALADAN.**

 **By LeelaStarsky.**

 ** _Written in 1998. First published in Bloodstripe # 3 in 2002._**

Set four months after A New Hope. A rebel operative, investigating the Empire's sudden interest in the planet Galadan has gone missing. Their assistance bought by the Rebellion, Han and Chewie find themselves guiding Luke and Leia through the jungle world, to discover not entirely welcome help in the most unexpected places.

 ** _NOTES: Any similarity to other 'genre' stuff is totally deliberate and no apologies are offered! This is, after all, simply fanfic and should be accorded the appropriate regard._**

 _The 'G' in the name 'Gisela' in this story is pronounced as 'G' in 'give'. (NOT Jisela in other words)_

 _In my version of this galaxy far, far away, the Galactic Standard Year consists of ten calendar months, each containing 40 days, or four ten-day weeks. A Galactic Standard Day consists of twenty fifty-minute hours. But this is usually deferred in preference to local time._

 _Inspirational music: "Medicine Man" soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, "Dinosaur" soundtrack by James Newton Howard, and "Journey" by Rivertribe_ _._

 **CHAPTER ONE**

The _Millennium Falcon_ slipped into Galadan airspace undetected and flew in low over the jungle. A verdant planet that seemed to be wringing fertility for all it was worth, Galadan teemed and, as a result, landing sights for space going craft were limited to the spaceports provided. This certainly made the Port Authority's job easier, but smugglers were an ingenious bunch and landing spots were there if you knew what to look for. And the captain of this particular freighter had spotted just that.

"There," he said, pointing.

Behind him, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa studied the landscape a little harder, trying to see any change in the green canopy below.

"What d'you reckon, Chewie?"

The Wookiee grunted his approval, and Luke and the princess looked at each other and shrugged. It all looked the same to them.

"Know anything about the local environment, kids?" Han Solo threw the question over his shoulder without looking at them.

Leia answered tightly, "As I understand, it's pretty hostile."

"That about sums it up," Solo agreed, nodding. "Flora, fauna and natives: hostile." He took the ship under the tree canopy and the tearing and ripping of dense plant matter against the hull assailed their ears.

Putting her hands over her ears, the princess tried to maintain confidence in the ship. In the five months since the destruction of the Death Star, the _Millennium Falcon_ had gone from one systems failure to the next. Which was not all bad because it had kept the Corellian and his partner around a bit longer, and they'd been indispensable during the Rebel Alliance flight from the Yavin moon. But Leia seriously suspected the _Millennium Falcon_ was held together by the will of its owner, and the fact that its current condition was a direct bribe from the Rebellion, did nothing to allay her fears.

Solo swerved the ship around a tree with a trunk wider than the diameter of the _Falcon_ , then flipped the ship ninety degrees to fit between two more the same. Vines and foliage caught and draped all over the ship, but did not hamper its passage. A brilliantly coloured something hit the cockpit window, splattered red and was quickly swept away, leaving only a rapidly fading smudge as record of its existence.

A particularly loud, ripping sound had the pilot and co-pilot trading worried looks.

"What was _that_?!" Luke shouted over the cacophony, but Solo was too busy guiding his ship to answer.

They had passed through the middle layer of forest and a 'clearing' in the form of a thick stand of bushes had become evident. With a rapid and sudden decent, Solo brought them to rest in the middle of the bushes and, as if in a final act of defiance at its violation, the forest threw what sounded like a thousand stones at the ship. Luke and the princess both jumped and Leia couldn't stop herself from yelping involuntarily. She put her hand over her mouth, embarrassed, and Solo smiled. The quiet seemed doubly profound after the hellishness of only a moment before.

Solo undid his straps and pulled his gloves off. "Welcome to Galadan, people!"

Luke unbuckled himself from the navigator's seat behind Solo and stood. "That was some landing, Han."

Solo grinned, flicking switches as he shut down the ship. Chewbacca rumbled pointedly and Solo agreed, "Yeah, you should've been here last time."

"I gather this landing was better?"

Chewbacca chortled, leaving the cockpit, and Solo smiled.

Leia was peering out at the jungle. "How long will it take us to reach the city?"

"Barring unforseen circumstances... a day, maybe two."

Luke joined the princess frowning out at the jungle and asked, "Will the ship be alright?"

Solo leaned across the console and pointed at the flora outside. "See these bushes?" They nodded. "The natives have some ridiculously long name which has been shortened to quett or quetta. They fire poisonous darts. That's what hit the 'steel when we landed."

Leia regarded the bushes warily. "And we're in the middle of them."

"Well, hopefully we're close enough to one edge to be able to get out."

Now she looked at him. "Are they lethal?"

"No, but they'll knock you out for a day. Leave you feeling pretty sick."

Leia smiled. "Speaking from experience?"

Solo looked at her and one side of his mouth twitched up. "Not personal, no."

"So how do we get out?" Luke asked.

"Once they've fired, they take six minutes to rearm. We simply set them off-"

"And run like hell." Leia smiled, impressed.

Solo smiled at her. "Exactly."

Leia stood up straight. "Well then, let's get going."

They were heading out of the cockpit when the sound of rain on the hull became audible. They all turned and looked out the window. It was getting heavier as they watched.

Leia groaned, "Oh, no..."

"Welcome to Galadan," Solo growled, and left the cockpit.

Luke looked at the rain intently, dimly aware of Solo and the princess leaving the cockpit, fascinated by the moisture-rich world outside. Having spent all but the last five months of his life on a desert planet, he was still amazed by the sight of water falling from the sky. The fourth moon of Yavin had been like this. Hot, wet and teeming with life. Luke frowned at the quetta bushes surrounding them. Nothing moved in those. Maybe insects.

The rain became thunderous, setting off the quetta and a hail of poisonous darts hit the ship. One lodged in a corner where the hull met transparisteel, and Luke leaned forward to get a better look at it. Small, black and barbed, it was obviously designed not to come out easily. The torrential rain washed it away and he focussed beyond the bushes. He was still leaning, looking out, when Leia walked in. She was wearing a helmet and waterproof camouflage cloak, and smiled fondly at him as she handed him his own.

Luke smiled apologetically as he accepted the cloak and helmet. "Thanks. I was just-"

"Looking at the rain? I know. It's all right; I understand. Really."

"Thanks."

He followed her out of the cockpit and into the forward hold, pulling on his cloak and helmet as he went.

Solo was busily loading a bag with necessities. "As I see it," he said, "we have two choices. We can either carry full packs, sleep reasonably comfortably and eat well, or carry light packs, rough it completely and halve our travelling time."

Luke and Leia looked at each other and nodded. "Rough it."

"Good." Solo settled the bag across his body and pulled on a waterproof coat. We'll be able to clean up when we get there." He surveyed them quickly, "Ready?"

They nodded, settling their packs under their cloaks, and trooped towards the airlock. Chewie was waiting by the door, See Threepio and Artoo Detoo nearby.

"You can't come," Solo growled at the droids as he passed.

The golden droid stopped in his tracks and protested, "But sir!"

Solo didn't even look at the droid as he responded succinctly, "No droids on Galadan." He opened the airlock and activated the lowering of the ramp, staying well clear of the opening itself. Thick humidity assailed them as Galadan air filled the ship and the descending ramp set off a localised explosion of darts, which hit the ramp and pinged against the metal bulkheads of the airlock.

Luke put a reassuring hand on Threepio's shoulder, and told the droid, "It's alright, Threepio. There's a ban on droids here. But we need you to look after the ship."

"Never get through the frakking jungle anyway," Solo muttered.

Luke shot the Corellian a look of irritation and Threepio considered the interplay between the two men for a moment then said, "Very well, Master Luke. If you're certain..."

"We'll be fine," Luke assured him.

"Put the ramp up as soon as we're through the quett bushes," Solo told the droid matter of factly. "Leave the comlink open. We'll contact you when we want it down."

Threepio nodded, "Very well, sir."

Solo waved them into a line-up behind himself and the Wookiee, along the inner-bulkhead wall and Luke asked, "How are you going to trigger them?"

Ignoring the question, Solo said, "Alright, remember- six minutes. I'll go first, Chewie last; you two can sort it out between you. Ready?" They nodded. "Okay, Chewie."

Chewbacca hefted his bowcaster with one arm and sighted loosely along it, keeping the rest of his body well out of the doorway. He fired three rapid bolts, minutely changing direction for each, then quickly pulled his arm and head in as well.

The projectiles cut through the bushes, setting them off. Darts _tack_ , _tack_ , _tacked_ vainly against the hull, and up the ramp where they pinged madly against the droids and the floor. Solo waited a beat then ran, followed by Luke, Leia then Chewie. To Leia, it felt like trying to run through water. Branches kept slapping back at her from Luke's passing, grabbing the fabric of her cloak. And the ground kept changing underneath her - one moment it was firm, the next she'd sink almost to her knees.

Solo cleared the copse, closely followed by Luke, and shouted at her, " _Come on! Come on_!" He pulled her the last few metres and they watched, trying to catch their breath while they waited for Chewie to emerge. Leia was getting anxious; sure that time was running out. Finally the Wookiee lumbered out and they relaxed somewhat.

Luke smiled at the princess, breathing hard, and said, "I'm out of condition..."

Leia nodded, trying to get her own breathing under control. "Too much time... shipboard..." she agreed.

Solo grinned at her. "Should've taken me up on my offer, sweetheart," he said. He was breathing hard, but definitely had it under control.

Leia pursed her lips, peeved at the referral to his last practical joke and the fact that he had somehow found time to keep fit. "If I had time to exercise -" she said defensively, but Solo cut her off.

"Yeah, yeah..." He pulled out his comlink and spoke into it, "Alright, Threepio, close 'er up."

They could barely make out the _Falcon_ through the bushes, but heard the faint whine as the ramp closed.

Solo turned to the princess. "Okay, Your Worship, which way?"

Leia unhooked the map from her belt and brought up their coordinates. The map trilled merrily for a moment while it considered then finally blipped. Leia pointed, "This way." And they headed off.


	2. Chapter 2

The University of Galadan was quite renowned despite its planet's peripheral involvement in matters galactic and despite its natives' very backward culture. Somehow the two had blended, though not entirely successfully, leaving Galadan with modern cities and virtually untouched rainforests.

Officially, Galadan's primary export was graduates. In particular, medical, bio and genetic graduates. The planet's amazingly diverse wealth of poisons, plant and animal life made it a perfect natural, if somewhat hazardous, laboratory.

Unofficially, it was the major supplier of narcotics and poisons to the underworld. And not only native varieties. Many outworld drugs were grown or synthesised on Galadan, and it was almost a commonplace way to pay for a very expensive education.

As a result, the spaceports were usually crawling with thinly disguised smugglers and even more thinly disguised Imperials. Which is why Han Solo had chosen to land where he did.

But the Empire had been taking a great deal of interest in Galadan of late. The Rebel Alliance, suspicious of some new genetic or bacterial weapon, had 'planted' a student and waited for the information to start rolling in. And roll in it had. Steadily. Interesting, informative and a lot of it downright useful, but none of it what they were looking for. Then it had stopped. Abruptly.

And so the ' _Millennium Falcon_ team', as they had become jokingly known in the Rebellion's higher circles, had been sent to investigate the sudden silence. The princess, of course, had agreed immediately. Skywalker had been flabbergasted and honoured, and Solo had flatly refused. Prepared for just such a contingency, the Rebellion's hierarchy blatantly and unashamedly bribed him. With a fully repaired and operating ship.

….

The student's name was Treis Lowmon. Well liked by his teachers and fellow students, his application for and disappearance into a solo field study was considered a little loony; but then, as far as his peers were concerned, Treis Lowmon was long overdue to do something crazy. His whole approach to date had been agonisingly average and it cheered them all to find out that, deep down, he was as silly as the rest of them.

But solo studies were considered stupid and foolhardy for good reason; on Galadan they had a high mortality rate. If the flora or fauna didn't get you, the natives probably would. And the natives had been particularly pissed off since the Empire's sudden interest.

When Lowmon failed to return, a cursory search was mounted, but no one seriously expected to find anything and he was finally relegated into the 'missing and presumed dead' file.

In fact, the truth was far more insidious. But only the Imperial agent who had found him 'slicing' into restricted Imperial research knew the truth. And, although one other person suspected, she had too deep a sense for self-preservation to say anything.


	3. Chapter 3

They had been walking for three hours and were strung out along a path in single file. What had made the path, none of them knew, but it was obviously big enough and walked through often enough to deter the greenery. The jungle life outside the quetta bushes was profuse and the noise incredible. The rain had stopped, but water dripped constantly from the leafy canopy above.

Luke addressed the uneasy feeling in all of them when he said quietly, "Do you get the feeling we're being watched?"

Leia also kept her voice down as she agreed, "I think whoever or whatever has been following us for a while."

"Hostile natives?" Luke suggested, suddenly feeling grateful for the Wookiee's presence and keener instincts.

Solo's eyes were flicking in every direction as he replied in a low voice, "They haven't killed us yet."

The heat and humidity were oppressive and Solo and the princess had bickered tirelessly for the first hour or so, but had finally, thankfully lapsed into silence. Luke could not understand why they did it. Each was equally guilty of baiting the other. At first he had thought that they genuinely detested each other, but now he was not so sure. They were like moths at each other's flame - helplessly attracted and repelled at the same time. A month ago he might have been jealous, but now... Now he didn't know what to think. What he _did_ know was that the arguing got on his nerves.

He slapped away a persistent insect. They'd all been bitten before it had occurred to them to use repellent and, as a result, had suffered a variety of allergic reactions and had needed to take medication. Except Chewie. So far, it seemed, his pelt was an adequate deterrent. But none of it had improved their tempers.

In front, Solo slipped and almost fell. The princess, who had worked out a system of half walking, half skating on the slick surface, lost her rhythm, struggled desperately to stay upright... and failed. She swore; something Luke had never heard her do, which attested to the state of her temper. From the delighted look on Solo's face, it was a first for him also.

"I'm sorry?" he quipped. "I missed that."

He reached out to help her up and she jerked her arm out of reach. "I can manage!"

Solo stepped back melodramatically. "Sorry, Your Holiness, only trying to help."

"I don't _need_ your help!" Leia growled as she clambered awkwardly to her feet. Then promptly lost her balance again and flopped to the ground.

Solo regarded her in an amused fashion and said, "Far be it from me to interfere."

"I wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't stopped!" she snapped irritably.

"Alright, I admit it. I nearly fell just so we'd have the pleasure of hearing you swear."

Leia opened her mouth to give a stinging retort when Chewbacca barked sharply. A distant, but rapidly approaching, crashing through the jungle brought them to the quick realisation that whatever kept the path clear was on its way. Solo pulled Leia to her feet and she didn't quibble.

Luke did a rapid scan of the immediate jungle, looking for some sort of cover; but all of it involved coming into contact with the generally lethal foliage.

Chewie barked a warning and they all looked down the path and saw it. Huge, reptilian and definitely carnivorous. It was black all over, except for its teeth, and stood on powerful hind legs while it paused to label them edible.

Leia almost whispered, "Holy shit..."

Chewie was running back and forth at the edge of the path where the land sloped dramatically away. The beast screamed at them, dropped onto all fours and all but flew up the path towards them, revealing a _whipsnap_ tail of lethal proportions. Solo's hand went for his blaster and Chewie yabbered at them. He had found what was, in essence, a waterfall of mud. He didn't wait to debate the issue, leaping headfirst down the slope and the others followed without question. By the time Chewbacca landed in the slimy mudpool at the bottom, he was doing a phenomenal speed. His arrival sent a shockwave of muddy water two metres into the air and out of the pool. He immediately threw himself to one side and Solo shot out of the cascade. He landed feet first, and the shock pitched him forward, face down into the slime.

"Ugh!"

Chewie grabbed him and pulled him out of the way just as Leia exploded into the pool. She landed just as Solo had, ending up face first in the slimy water. She rolled over, spluttering inelegantly and was yanked clear as Luke splashed down.

Luke was laughing as he got to his feet, shaking the slime and mud from his hands before attempting to wipe his face. "Wow!" he hooted. "Almost as much fun as an X-wing!"

The Corellian smiled and Leia gave Luke a look that told him she thought it was a sentiment typical of pilots, and not one to be proud of. Luke smiled at her and pulled his helmet off to empty the mud out of it. He was not about to apologise for a feeling or attitude so ingrained it was instinct.

Making sure she was all in one piece, Leia moaned at the state and smell of her clothes and body.

"Pretty good, huh?" Solo observed pleasantly, wiping his face on his sleeve.

Leia shot him a look and said pointedly, "What an amazing smell you've discovered!"

Solo chuckled and had opened his mouth with a comeback when the beast's screaming and crashing above had them seriously worried it would follow them down.

Putting his helmet back on, Luke stated the obvious, "I think it's time we left."


	4. Chapter 4

They had not gone far when the afternoon rains set in, dropping visibility to zero and forcing a halt.

"This is no good," Solo shouted over the rain. "We'll have to wait until it stops!"

He got no arguments and they sat, getting what shelter they could in the buttress of a huge tree, but they hadn't been there five minutes when Chewie rumbled ominously. He surged to his feet and the others followed suit, looking around nervously, unable to see more than a metre in front of them. Then they all heard what the Wookiee's keener ears had already picked up. The same beast as before...

Leia moaned, "Oh, no..."

"It couldn't be the same one, could it?" Luke said as he unholstered his blaster.

Solo was waving his own blaster in the general direction of the approaching noise. "Who knows? Who cares?"

They looked about futilely for somewhere to run. The tree was unscaleable; the first branch more than thirty metres up.

"Maybe it won't be able to see us?" Luke did not sound convinced.

"Probably smelled us a kilometre away," Solo growled.

They all had their weapons drawn and the roaring and crashing was almost upon them. Unnoticed, Luke holstered his blaster and drew his lightsabre, feeling compelled to do so.

Then a large, dark shape lunged at them, obviously not having the visibility difficulties they were. Solo fired and Luke heard Chewie's bowcaster fire. The beast screamed. Luke gripped the lightsabre in both hands and tried to concentrate on feeling the Force, but the bellowing of the beast was deafening and it seemed to be everywhere.

The rain became thunderous, as if in sympathy with the beast. Solo and Leia were firing almost constantly, but if either of them was hitting the creature it was having no effect except to make it angrier. Luke cursed as a blaster bolt just missed him. Why hadn't they stayed close together? They'd be lucky if they didn't kill each other at this rate! He could barely see a metre in front of him and pulled his helmet off in irritation. But it didn't help; now the rain drenched his hair and ran into his eyes! A tingling at the back of his mind made him jump sideways and he just missed being struck by the lethal tail, but he thought he heard Leia cry out. Luke tried to move in the direction the tail had taken.

"Leia?"

The lightsabre was hissing madly in the rain and the monster lunged at it. Luke drew a deep burn down the animal's face and it screamed then snapped at him. A bone-jarring sound of teeth on teeth. Luke jumped aside and swung the lightsabre down, pressing his attack and cutting into the massive jaw. The beast roared its fury to the sky and a bowcaster bolt took out an eye. Screaming, it turned its remaining eye to the lightsabre and lunged. Luke twisted instinctively, came up under its head and cut its throat.

The animal staggered and gurgled defiantly, spraying him with blood, and seemed to take forever before finally crashing to the ground. The sudden quiet was almost as deafening as the noise. The rain was thunderous and the beast's sides still heaved as it tried to breathe.

Solo yelled, "Luke?"

Luke was shaking. "Over here." He saw Solo approaching and switched off the lightsabre, grateful for the cleansing nature of the rain.

Solo put a hand on his shoulder and asked, "You alright?" Luke simply nodded. "Where's Leia?"

"I don't know. I think she got hit by the tail."

Solo looked suddenly worried and moved away, calling for her, "Princess?" No answer. "Princess?"

Luke heard a weak, "Over here..." and alerted Solo as he headed in what he hoped was the right direction.

It took a moment for him to locate her; and when he did he just stood and stared. Leia was hanging, three metres up, caught in a tangle of spurred vines. Solo swore as he and Chewie came up beside him.

"Don't move," Solo told her as he looked around for something that might help them get her down.

"Don't worry, I won't," was her tense reply.

"Have you been stuck?" Luke called up to her, his voice thick with worry. "By the thorns, I mean."

"I don't think so... but..."

"But what?"

"I think something's broken."

Solo looked up at her, sharply, "Can you move?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to risk it."

"Wise."

Behind them, unnoticed, several figures were descending on ropes from the enormous tree. They moved silently to inspect the dead beast.

Solo shook his head, still trying to come up with a solution to their dilemma.

"What if we secure your coat between two sticks?" Luke suggested. "Make a kind of bed. If Chewie could hold it up long enough, Leia could roll onto it and we could slide her out."

Solo looked impressed. "It might work." Chewie rumbled and Solo agreed, "Yeah."

The rain had abated somewhat, and Leia, from her vantage spot, suddenly saw the natives. She pointed and hissed, "Han!" then yelped as she accidentally slashed her hand on one of the thorns. Solo and Chewie spun to look in the direction she'd pointed, only Luke realising with horror what she'd done.

"Are you alright?!"

"Ah..." she winced as fire shot up her arm, "no..."

"Han!"

Solo and Chewie were contemplating the necessity of a confrontation with the natives and looked back at him in confusion.'

"It got her."

"What did?"

"The vine!"

Solo looked at the princess, saw her bloody hand and swore.

" _Now_ what do we do?" Luke's voice had an hysterical edge.

"We have to get her out of there _now_." Solo called up to Leia, "Whatever's broken, I hope it's not your back! Chewie pick me up."

The Wookiee squatted and Solo climbed onto his shoulders, then Chewbacca stood, holding onto his friend's legs.

"Don't drop me..." Solo said to his friend, then reached out to the princess. "Alright, give me your hands."

She hesitated and Solo yelled at her, "Give me your hands!"

Leia reached out to him and he grabbed her hands. Excruciating pain in her right hand made her cry out and jerk it away. Solo didn't have time for this; he grabbed at it again and Chewie teetered at the sudden change in balance. "Come on! Come on! Before I end up in there with you!"

Leia thrust out her hand and he grabbed it by the wrist. He paused a moment, gathering his strength, and the princess clenched her jaw in anticipation.

Solo gritted his resolve, tightened his hold on her wrists and gripped the Wookiee as hard as he could with his legs.

"Chewie; on three! One... two... _three_!" Solo pulled her upward as Chewbacca pulled back. Her cloak caught on a thorn and tore. Leia tried to keep her mouth shut, but the cry of agony was out before she could stop it. Chewie turned and Solo swung her towards Luke who caught her and lowered her to the ground. Solo jumped down and hurried over and Luke looked up at him grimly.

Solo opened his bag. "Alright, alright, doc's here." He knelt beside her, "What's happening?"

From the look on her face she was obviously suffering. "What've you got?"

"Not much," Solo admitted.

"I think it's a nerve model." She held out her hand. It was shaking.

Solo took her hand and studied the wound carefully. It was jagged and deep. "Could be trauma," he said, and fished a cloth from his bag to wipe away the blood so he could see it better.

Leia gritted her teeth, trying to disassociate the pain. "I can feel it," she said. "It's not trauma. But it _is_ fast moving. What've you got?"

Solo watched as the wound quickly welled with blood again. From the look of it there was anticoagulant in the poison. He put her hand down and rifled through the bag.

"Well... there's good old ligrin?"

Leia shook her head and closed her eyes. "Thins the blood; poison'll travel." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Plus things are not great elsewhere."

He looked at her sharply, "What d'you mean?"

Leia indicated her right side. "Here. What else?"

Back in the bag, Solo suggested, "How about millerangin?"

"Need... a suppressant..."

Solo looked at her. She was visibly trembling. He went back to digging in the bag.

Luke glanced over at the natives. They were busily carving up the monster, all the while keeping an eye on their little group. Nothing like taking advantage of an opportunity, Luke thought sourly.

Solo muttered, "What we really need is some berrenigo or something like it." He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up in time to see Chewie moving towards the vine. "Chewie, get away from it!"

Chewie growled an intolerant response and Leia looked at him alarmed. She grabbed Solo's arm and hissed, "Don't let him touch it!"

"Will you stay still? You'll have the poison through you in no time!"

The princess forced herself to relax, closing her eyes, "Can't im... magine you... carrying a... Wook..."

Solo smiled at her, but there was deep concern in his eyes. He shared a worried look with Luke.

Chewie started chattering and Solo frowned at him, "Cut it?" He pulled a small vibroblade from his boot as he joined the Wookiee, but the vibroblade barely marked the thick vine, and Solo scowled irritably. "With _what_?"

Luke produced his lightsabre and hurried over. "Here, this'll cut through anything." Chewbacca indicated eagerly and Luke ignited the lightsabre and swiftly cut through the metre thick vine. The natives stopped what they were doing, riveted. By the light of the lightsabre, Luke was relieved to see that, although the sabre had cauterised eighty percent of the severed vine, a small part was bleeding a clear sap. Chewie rumbled happily and fossicked in his bag for a cup.

Solo went back to squat beside the princess and she asked quietly, concentrating on keeping her muscles under control, "What are they doing?"

Solo had been watching the proceedings intently and looked back at her. "There's a vine on Kashyyyk," he said. "Highly poisonous. But the antidote is in the sap... if you can get to it." He glanced at Luke and Chewie, then back to the princess. "Chewie thinks there's a good chance that this one's very similar."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Solo tried to smile and hoped his expression was reassuring.

Leia smiled weakly. "Either that or... kill m... me out... right..."

Solo regarded her grimly.

Luke was watching the princess, deeply concerned, and irrationally wondered why she and Han weren't fighting. His lightsabre was hissing frantically in the rain, helping the Wookiee to see what he was doing. Most of the natives were back at their task, if somewhat distracted, but one was blatantly staring and slowly edging closer.

Chewbacca decided he had enough in the cup and moved over to the princess, Luke following. Solo got out of the way as Chewbacca knelt beside her and gently cradled her lacerated hand, studying it. Her hand looked ridiculously small against the Wookiee's and it was bleeding freely.

Leia watched as Chewbacca poured a little of the sap into her palm. He put down the cup carefully and, with one finger, worked the clear syrup into the wound. It immediately turned milky and became quite runny. Leia changed the angle of her hand to stop it from running off.

"It's st... st... opped the... burning."

Chewie rumbled reassuringly and Solo translated, "He says that's a good sign."

Hopefully it means it's neutralised, Leia thought to herself, unable to face the prospect of trying to say it aloud.

"How long before we know if it's worked?" Luke asked, still holding the hissing lightsabre up as a lightsource.

Leia smiled shakily. "If I...d...drop...dead...know..." She grimaced and clenched her jaw.

"What's wrong?" Luke sounded terrified.

"I... I... I..."

Leia gave up, closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, trying not to bite her tongue. Chewbacca fussed meticulously over her; checking her eyes, her gums, her pulse. The shaking had become pronounced.

Solo muttered unhappily, "Chewie..."

Chewbacca barked something terse, checked some more then rumbled again. From the look on Solo's face, it wasn't good.

" _What_?" Luke demanded, seriously alarmed.

"Ah... he says it's working but she needs it intravenously."

"How do we do that?"

Solo wouldn't or couldn't look at him. "We don't."

Now Luke was angry. "Don't you even have a _hypo_ in there?!"

"Sure," Solo said, finally looking at him. "But the serum has to be in a pressurised cylinder."

Luke rolled his eyes. Of course. He wasn't thinking rationally. Rain was dripping off his hair and getting in his eyes. He brushed it angrily away with his hand. Then a thought occurred to him.

"What about orally?"

Solo and the Wookiee looked at each other for a moment then Solo grabbed the cup and, with Chewie supporting her, tried to feed it to the princess. She struggled against him but he persevered and finally poured it down her throat. She gagged, but it stayed down. She shook violently for one horribly long minute, then abruptly stopped.

"Leia?" Luke held the lightsabre a little closer, trying to see her face. " _Leia_?" She looked dead and Luke felt as though something unseen had coiled itself around his heart preparatory to ripping it out of his chest. He wanted to scream at the Wookiee to do something, but he couldn't breathe.

Chewbacca's hand was around her throat, feeling her pulse, when he suddenly thumped her chest with his fist. The princess' body bounced from the impact, but there was no other response. Chewbacca felt for her pulse then hit her again and Leia gasped, coughed, took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Luke, Solo and Chewie all let theirs out, unaware they'd even been holding it. She was alive and their relief was palpable. Leia herself did not seem so thrilled...

"I think I'm going to be sick..."

Solo put a hand over her mouth. "No, don't!" Then, at her look of alarm, explained, "Not yet. Let some of it be absorbed." He removed his hand and smiled encouragingly. "Besides, I wouldn't move if I were you. At least not until we figure out the extent of your injuries."

Luke caught movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed that some of the natives had moved in very close. He said quietly, "Han."

Solo glanced at him, then quickly in the direction Luke was looking. "Oh, great..." His hand dropped to his blaster and he got to his feet, but Luke stopped him.

"Wait," Luke said, and Solo frowned at him. "I think they're okay," Luke murmured.

Solo turned back to the natives. "Just curious, huh?" He looked at Chewie. "What d'you think?" Chewbacca rumbled a few words. "Yeah, well keep your eyes on 'em." He jerked his thumb at the lightsabre. "Better switch that off."

Luke obliged. Yes, it was attracting unwanted attention.

Solo squatted beside the princess and said light-heartedly, "Alright, sweetheart; here comes the fun part. Luke, help me get her cloak off." Solo undid her belt and they lifted the cloak over her head, not bothering to pull it out from under her. There was no blood on her jacket and Luke hoped that was a good sign.

"Where were you hit?" Solo asked, opening her jacket.

Leia indicated her right side and winced as he promptly ran his hands down her left. He moved to the right and she groaned and shut her eyes. Nausea threatened to overwhelm her.

Solo had a good idea how she was feeling and carried on. The quicker he did this, the sooner it would be over.

"What was it?" he asked, talking in an effort to distract her. "The tail?" Leia nodded faintly and Solo saw her flinch as his fingers found the break in one rib. "I thought you'd broken your back." Second rib, two breaks. "One thing's for sure," third rib, one break, "you don't do things by halves, do you? I don't know how I would have explained it to Rieekan if you'd died." He moved his hand to her diaphragm and felt gently. Definite distension. Leia's eyes flew open. Solo read the signs and quickly rolled her onto her left side. She vomited and, even in the poor light, Solo could tell it was mostly blood. Not good.

"I keep telling you, sweetheart, you've got to stop this binge drinking."

She retched again, but little came up. And again. Leia wailed; every muscle spasm an agony. Solo dragged her sideways a little and Luke wiped her face. Leia felt humiliated but it was all she could do to remain conscious.

Luke said quietly to Solo, "What's the verdict?"

Solo looked across the princess at him. "She needs a medcentre. Urgently."

"Which is closer, the _Falcon_ or the city?"

"Probably the _Falcon_ \- "

Chewie gave a warning growl and Luke and Solo looked at the natives, expecting to find primitive weapons pointed at them. But the natives were on alert.

Then they heard it. An all too familiar shriek.

Luke leapt to his feet. "It's _another_ one of those creatures!"

Solo climbed wearily to his feet and unholstered his blaster. "Here we go again."

Suddenly two of the natives were arguing loudly, gesturing wildly between the carcass and the crew of the _Millennium Falcon_. The shriek sounded again, closer, and the two resorted to fists. Finally, one broke away and fled angrily up the tree. The one remaining then turned and yelled at the others. Two thirds vanished up the tree, loaded with meat, the remainder bustling over the carcass to get as much as they could in the time left to them. The winner of the fight moved a little closer to the _Falcon_ crew and... said something to them.

Solo regarded the native warily. "Yeah... right..."

Luke lamented, "Where's Threepio when we need him?"

The native spoke at them some more and indicated the ropes leading up into the canopy of the tree. Luke glanced at Solo. "I think he wants us to go up the tree."

Solo looked at the princess then back at the tree, obviously wondering how in hell they would accomplish that. Then two natives approached, one of the large meat baskets between them.

Much closer now, the monster roared. They didn't have a choice; it would be on them in moments. Luke and Solo hurriedly lifted her into the basket and Leia, realising what was going on, shook her head, "Oh, no... Oh, no, no, no, no, no..." The others ignored her.

"Do you know anything about them?" Luke asked Solo, under his breath as the princess' basket was yanked skyward.

Solo looked at him and answered grimly, "Only that they always kill outsiders."

Luke was mortified. " _What_?!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chewbacca shot up the tree, as only a Wookiee could, using his claws and arboreal heritage to keep the princess in sight. His unexpected agility caused some comment among the natives, and they all looked at Solo and Luke, waiting to see if they would perform a similar feat.

The monster burst into the clearing and immediately attacked the carcass. Natives vanished up the tree at a phenomenal rate and Luke and Solo followed their example.

The ropes were a counterweight pulley system that had them in the branches, twenty or thirty metres up, in seconds. Luke and Solo both felt as though they'd left their stomachs behind.

They landed on a large platform and all the ropes were pulled up. _To prevent unwanted visitors no doubt_ , Luke thought. They went up another two levels the same way and then found themselves in a village of enormous platforms built into and around one of the massive trees.

"Reminds me of Kashyyyk," Solo muttered to Luke as they landed. He spotted Chewbacca and headed for him. "Much simpler of course."

Chewie was standing over a very white and still princess, and Luke's heart leapt into his throat. Chewie rumbled at them and Solo briefly inspected her. "It's alright; she's just passed out."

" _Get out_ !"

They looked up, startled to find someone not just yelling at them, but yelling at them in Basic. He was on the next platform up and looked totally livid.

"What the hell do you think you're _doing_?! Get _out_!"

Luke looked at Solo who was frowning very hard at the figure above. When his initial abuse did not have the desired effect, the man swiftly descended to their level.

" _Get out_! Are you _deaf_?!"

Luke took a step forward, "The natives brought us here - "

"I don't give a shit! _Get out_!"

Luke looked to Solo for some support and found him with a look of horrified disbelief on his face. The man thundered towards them, tall and bearish with long, thinning grey hair and a beard.

"This is _not_ a study group! How many times do I have to tell you idiot kids?"

Chewbacca looked at Solo; he too had recognised the man.

Luke indicated the princess. "Our friend is badly hurt - "

"Not as badly hurt as he will be-" The man stopped in his tracks ten metres away, staring at the Corellian. Then at the Wookiee, and back to Solo. Now he was angrier than ever. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?!"

Luke looked sharply at Solo. Someone from his past! That was all they needed!

Solo had come over all defensive. "I might ask you the same question."

"I _work_ here!" The man noticed the basket with the princess in it and frowned. "What?" He moved to get a better look at her. "Good grief!"

"She's badly hurt-" Solo started to say.

The man looked accusingly at him and pointed at the unconscious girl. "That's the Princess of _Alderaan_!" he bellowed. "What's she doing with you?"

"At the moment?" Solo responded sarcastically, " _Dying_!" He opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted by the stranger who snapped, "Bring her to my hut."

"She _needs_ a medcentre!" Solo insisted.

The man headed back towards the ropes. "Come on, come on."

"Maybe if you could give us some kind of transport to the city-" Solo suggested.

" _Give_ you a ship?" The man laughed sarcastically. "You'd steal it!" Solo glared bitterly at him and the stranger turned back to the ropes. "Are you coming or not?"

They bent to pick the basket up and Luke said quietly, "I gather you know each other?' Solo scowled and they hefted the basket between them. "An old smuggling buddy, huh?"

Solo was startled out of a whirlpool of thoughts. "What?... No." He glared after the departing figure and muttered, "He's my father."

Luke was so surprised he almost dropped the basket. "Your _father_?"

The man yelled at them, "Will you hurry up?!"

They got to the ropes and lashed the basket up. Leia moaned.

"What happened to her?" Solo's father asked.

Solo answered without looking at him, "She caught the tail of - "

"The lazech?" the man said, cutting him off, and frowned at the princess a little closer. "Where?"

Solo indicated her chest, irritated by the older man's constant and typical interruptions. "Threw her into a tangle of vines and she - "

His father grabbed the princess' hand, looked at the wound and muttered with dread, "Kibrivask vine." He muttered absently, "Kvoric was babbling about something..." He frowned at them, and Luke got the impression he was really seeing them for the first time. " _You're_ responsible for all that meat-"

"She has several broken ribs and is bleeding internally," Solo said darkly, bringing him back to the problem at hand.

The older man grunted and turned to the ropes. "She should be _dead_."

They moved up to the next platform and carried her to what was obviously his hut. Inside, it looked like a camp laboratory.

He hastily cleared a workbench and instructed, "Put her here."

Luke and Solo obliged, lifting her carefully from the basket and placing her gingerly on the bench, then stepped back while the elder Solo ran a handheld scanner over her. "How did you revive her?" he asked.

Solo frowned then said, "We gave her the sap - "

The man looked up. "The _sap_? How did you get to it?"

"Cut the vine."

"With what? A vibroblade won't cut through kibrivask."

Luke answered, "My lightsabre."

Solo's father glanced at the weapon hanging from Luke's belt and regarded him for a moment then growled at Solo. "Interesting circles you travel in nowdays."

As the man turned back to the princess, Solo asked, "Can you -?"

"I can help with the bleeding and the broken bones. The poisoning is serious."

"How serious?"

"She should be dead."

"But the sap - ?" Luke started.

"The sap helped, definitely." He opened her shirt and started working on her. "The antidote is based on the sap. But the kibrivask vine leaves tiny capsules of poison." He glanced at them. "Little time bombs if you like." He continued concentrating on the scanner. "I have some of the antidote here but I'll have to take her to the university to make sure her hand is clean. Or else, in a few days, a bomb will go off and then she will be dead." He put the small scanner down. "Alright, you two out," he said, waving his hand at Solo and Luke. "Don't leave the platform; the Kivvies'll kill you. Chewbacca, you can help me undress her."

Dismissed and ignored, Luke reluctantly followed the Corellian out.

"So, your father's a medic?" he quipped, still trying to come to terms with the fact that the 'wild man' was related to Han.

Solo regarded the treetop village around them without really seeing it. "No," he answered. "My father's a geneticist."

Luke looked at him, alarmed. "Well, wait a minute-"

Solo glanced at him. "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing."

Inside the hut, Leia cried out and Luke gave Solo a baleful look. "I hope you're right about this..."

Solo muttered under his breath as he moved away, "Yeah... me too..."


	6. Chapter 6

Oppressive heat and a strong, acrid smell greeted Leia as she struggled into consciousness, then wished she'd stayed in pain-free oblivion. Her chest and right side ached abominably and she couldn't feel her right hand at all. Alarmed, she forced her eyes open to see if it was still there. It took her a moment to figure out she was looking at a rough wooden ceiling, complete with small crawling things and something spiderish.

The spider thing moved and adrenaline flooded her body. Leia looked around and wondered where the hell she was. She remembered the monster... the vine... Her hand! She lifted her right arm and was rewarded with white-hot pain. She moaned and hastily lowered it again. Her hand was still there; she could definitely feel it now.

Where _was_ she? Despite the sophisticated technology lying around her, Leia could not believe this was a medical facility. And yet... She gingerly felt her ribs. They hurt, but they definitely weren't broken any more. Someone had been busy. The natives? Leia didn't think so.

She rolled carefully to her left and sat up, swinging her legs off the... she looked again... bench. She was on a _workbench_? Stars sparkled happily across her vision and a wave of nausea swept over her. Leia took a deep breath to help it pass and was rewarded with excruciating pain. It took her mind off the nausea but it was some moments before she could move again.

The nausea didn't leave completely but it receded enough for her to try and take stock of her situation. She was sitting on a workbench in some sort of shack in the jungle. Where were Han, Luke and Chewie? How long had she been here? She was naked from the waist up and the bruising across her chest looked spectacular. She looked at her hand and decided the bandaging was an immobilisation. Which suggested that it was still a problem. Leia sighed and looked around again. It looked like a one-room hut, the majority of which had been actually carved into the tree. The front and part of one side were animal hide over a frame of wood. There was a single bed in the back corner, almost like an afterthought, surrounded by clutter.

She frowned at the small nest of electronic equipment nearby. Field study? Universities did that sort of thing, didn't they? In which case she was very lucky to find herself in the care of someone who obviously knew medicine.

Carefully she climbed off the bench and for a moment the world spun, but she hung onto the bench and it settled down. Her shirt was on the floor near her feet; in pieces, so she awkwardly draped the sheet, which had been covering her on the workbench, around her shoulders.

A closer study of the technology left her almost certain that her benefactor was not a student. This was hi-tech stuff. So what was it doing in the jungle? Maybe it had something to do with the sudden Imperial interest in Galadan?

There was a small mirror, hanging over a large wooden bowl that looked like it was doing duty as a washbasin near the bed and, catching her reflection in the mirror, Leia was appalled. The bruising looked much worse than she'd imagined it would be and she was absolutely _filthy_. She wiped her face with her good hand and quickly gave it away as futile. The nausea was getting worse and she sat down on the edge of the bed and considered the room from this angle. She wished Han and Luke would appear.

At something of a loss as what to do next, Leia absently looked through the top shelf nearest the bed, hoping to find some sort of identification for her benefactor. It was a jumble of software and handwritten notes, none of which made any sense to her. The next shelf was the same. On the third shelf she found a small, old-fashioned holo-plate and activated it without a second thought.

It produced a fifteen-centimetre portrait of a young man, wearing a well-decorated Imperial Naval Academy uniform. Each of the honour points was so clear, Leia could have identified them easily, but she was too caught up in his face. Not that it was odd or remarkable, it was just that it looked like Han. And the more she studied it, the more like him it looked. His hair was shorter and he looked younger, but the stance, the slight quirk to his mouth... Leia glanced around the shack again in total consternation, hoping the explanation would leap out at her and knowing it wouldn't. She looked back at the holo in her hand and frowned. It looked so much _like_ him!

The low rumble of male voices alerted her to their approach and she hurriedly deactivated the holo and put it back.

Her initial reaction to the large man who entered first was that she knew him. She didn't know where from, but his face was familiar. Dark eyes and closely cropped grey hair... Except it wasn't close cropped now; it was long and wispy. Like he hadn't bothered with appearances for a while. He looked for her on the workbench and looked vaguely surprised to find her sitting on his bed.

"I see you're feeling better."

Leia stood and immediately regretted it. "Thanks to you, I guess."

"And a little help from the Camp Surgeon," he said, and smiled as he approached. "Perhaps you should consider adding one to your kit?"

She looked over the man's shoulder as he inspected her chest and ribs, trying to get some gauge from Luke and Han of how she should regard this man. Luke smiled reassuringly but Solo looked totally uncomfortable. Chewie just looked alert.

"Mm, bruising's receding nicely."

Leia looked sharply at the stranger. "Receding? It was _worse_?"

He smiled and closed the sheet. "Much. Should be gone by the day after tomorrow, I expect." He rifled through a drawer and handed her a lightweight shirt. "Here, put this on," he said, throwing a disparaging look at Luke and Solo. "Before one of them jumps you."

Leia glanced at the younger men, trying not to smile at the expression of affront that had taken up residence on both of their faces. She took the shirt and turned away to put it on. It was much too big, but it was better than the sheet. Turning back to him, she indicated her bandaged hand. "Tell me about this."

"I've given you a shot of antidote but the poison's still there. I'll take you to the university in the morning and get it cleaned out."

Leia asked pointedly, "You're a researcher then? With the university?" His voice reminded her of ... who?

The smile he gave her told her she wasn't going to get any straight answers. "The kibrivask vine is quite deadly, you see. Leaves little capsules of poison behind. You should be dead, Princess."

Leia's eyes widened slightly and she shot a furious look at Luke and Solo.

Solo bridled and snapped, "Don't give us that look. He recognised you when we brought you in."

Leia looked back at the stranger. So she _did_ know him from somewhere! He was looking amused.

"Actually, we've met," he said. "I don't expect you'd remember. It was about two years ago on Hetat. The conference on metasync and genetic enhancement."

Leia frowned at the floor, thinking hard. "I remember the conference..."

"Professor Perron Solo. I spoke on - "

Abruptly it all fell into place. Leia took a step back, looking repulsed. "Shenegar's apprentice."

"Indeed," the man replied darkly. "That's what he had in mind."

"Are you saying you're _not_?" Scepticism was heavy in her voice.

"Of course I'm _not_." He stalked away from her then turned back, his arms folded defensively across his chest. "Do you seriously think that any self-respecting researcher could ally himself with someone like that?"

Leia's eyes were full of condemnation as she said scathingly, "I heard you received the Emperor's Biogenetic Achievement Award for the genocide of Rinicha Four."

"I had _nothing_ to do with Rinicha Four," he snapped and held up a warning finger as Leia opened her mouth. "And, no, the silla-bugs weren't mine. Biological warfare was always Shenegar's forte."

Unconvinced, Leia regarded him arrogantly. "Do you mind if I ask why you're _here_?"

"I'm in hiding; what does it look like?"

A surprised flicker of concern flashed across Solo's face.

Leia needed to clarify. "From Shenegar?"

"From anything Imperial. Do you think, once I got that sort of attention, I could do anything else?"

Leia had heard of countless cases of Imperial interest in research or development coercing or destroying new talent. Either the unlucky recipient worked for the Empire or they never worked again. So many brilliant minds just... disappeared. She was close to being swayed by his story. Then she remembered the computers and looked at them pointedly.

"Yet you have all this?"

"That's from the university."

"So you _do_ work for the university?"

"Unofficially, yes." A lot of the defensiveness had left him and he regarded her in a vaguely amused fashion.

"As what? A gene player?"

"It's what I do best."

"With the natives?"

She was deliberately baiting him, and he growled at her, "No, not with the natives. Plants mostly."

"Bigger and better poisons?"

He looked her in the eye; dark eyes that reminded her of whom? Himself? Leia decided that maybe she did remember him from Hetat.

"I constructed the cure for Rearner's Syndrome here."

That floored her. "You...?"

"It was credited to the university of course."

Leia regarded him and a slightly lopsided smile touched his lips. She glanced at the others and got no answers there. Perhaps this renegade geneticist would be able to shed some light on the sudden Imperial interest in Galadan? Certainly he'd have a vested interest in hoping they went away. She started to take a deep breath and quickly changed her mind.

Perron Solo noted the change and said gently, "You ask an awful lot of questions for someone just out of surgery." Leia nodded and let herself sit on the edge of the bed. The adrenaline had ebbed and she was sweating profusely, her vision beginning to swim.

"You'll have to stay in my hut for the night; if you go out the Kivvies'll kill you."

Leia looked up at him, tiredly, "Kivvies?"

"Kividans. The natives."

"Oh." Her gaze fell on the small holo-plate on the bookshelf and she frowned. Then looked across at Solo and found him watching the professor. The holo _was_ of him. It had to be. But there was no way she could ask the question without them knowing she'd been... well... _snooping_. And why would an eminent professor of genetics have a holo of a smuggler? A smuggler in an _Academy_ uniform… Leia frowned.

"May I ask _you_ a question?" the man asked gently.

Leia looked back at the bearded man and decided she didn't really have much choice. "I guess that's only fair," she said.

He looked amused. "What is the Princess of Alderaan doing on Galadan?"

Leia looked quickly at Luke and Solo, wondering what they had told him. She looked guiltily back at Perron, opening her mouth to answer, no idea what she was going to say. He obviously read her reluctance, because he waved his hand dismissively and changed his question.

"Alright, I'll give you an easier one to start with..." he said and shook his head at her. "What the hell are you doing with my son?"

Leia stared at him for the time it took to sink in, and that was a couple of seconds. Then she frowned as her mind, unable to accept the obvious, went in search of a more appropriate solution... and came up empty. She started to shake her head in total consternation. "Your son-?" And it hit her. Leia's gaze flashed around to Solo, who had suddenly found something of particular interest somewhere off to his left to look at, then back to Perron, incredulous. "Han is your _son_?"

Perron shot his son a disparaging look. "I know. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

Solo glared at him.

Leia was floundering. It was so obvious! The holo, their names... good grief, they even _looked_ alike!

"I had no idea... I mean... It never occurred to me."

"And why would it?" He leaned back against the bench. "You're hardly likely to keep the name of some obscure geneticist at the front of your brain." He smiled, that shockingly familiar lopsided smile. "And I doubt you'd have found me anywhere _near_ as interesting as I found you."

Leia blanched. What was he suggesting? Solo was apparently thinking along the same lines, because he bristled and stood up straight, glowering at the older man.

" _What_?!"

Perron looked at his son and rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't be ridiculous!" He looked back at the princess. "No, you intrigued me because you were nothing like the rest of the Organas." Leia's heart lodged in her throat and Perron held his hands up in a helpless gesture. "A challenge hard for a geneticist to ignore."

Leia tore her eyes from his and looked to the others for a distraction. Anything to change the subject. She caught Solo watching her and he quickly looked away. She swallowed, wishing everything didn't hurt so much. It made it hard to think clearly.

"Your son is working for us..."

The look on Perron's face clearly said, ' _working_?', but he said, "Us?" He waved his finger between Luke and Leia. "You two?"

Leia regarded him, wondering what could have happened between Han and his father. For Perron to hold him in such _contempt_... But then, she guessed, a son with the sort of Academy honours the holo suggested, turning to smuggling would be pretty disappointing. She decided to throw a few well-earned points in Han's direction.

"For the Rebel Alliance."

Perron Solo's eyes widened and Leia had to stifle a smile. He looked at his son and Solo snorted, "Don't get excited, Dad. They _hired_ me."

But Leia wasn't going to let him get out of it that easy. "He was integral to the destruction of the Death Star," she said.

Perron all but gawped at his son and Luke grinned openly at Solo's discomfort.

"Is this true?" Perron demanded quietly.

"Well, you're hardly going to believe anything _I_ say, are you?"

Perron glanced at the princess then back to his son. Maybe there was something going on between them? His eyes narrowed as suspicion began to set in. "Death Star was over five months ago."

"Tell me about it," Solo muttered.

"You'd never hang around for five months."

Solo rolled his eyes. "I've had a few problems with my ship - "

"Balls! You wouldn't hang around if you didn't want to."

Luke snickered and Leia slipped her arms around her ribs in an attempt to protect them, frightened she would laugh.

Solo was scratching for something to say. "It's not that simple."

"There's something going on between you and her, isn't there?"

"No!" Han and Leia both looked affronted.

Perron turned to Luke who was looking amused. "Is there?"

Luke shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to keep a straight face as his mind tried to wrap itself around the ludicrous image of Han and Leia _necking_ between fights. "Not that I know of," he said.

"I'd never have dreamed the Rebellion could pay so well," Perron muttered.

Solo steamed, glaring at his father, and Perron turned to the princess, looking for denial or confirmation in her face, and found pain. The medic in him swept to the fore. "I'm sorry," he said, contritely. "I'll get you something for the pain."

Leia considered refusing, then changed her mind. Whatever it was, it would have all night to wear off.

Perron left the hut and Solo followed him out. Leia looked at Luke and he walked over and sat beside her.

"Why didn't Han tell us his father was here?" she asked.

"He didn't know." Leia looked sceptical and Luke added, "From what I could drag out of Han, they haven't spoken for over ten years." Now she looked appalled. Luke smiled, "I don't know who was more upset. You should have seen their faces."

A smile whispered across her face but was deeply underscored with pain. "I wish I had." She ran a hand over her mouth and sighed. "How much time have we lost?"

"We've been here about half a day, Galadan time, but the truth is it's actually saved us time." She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Han's father is flying us into the university tomorrow because of your hand." He shrugged. "We'll be there a whole day earlier than we expected."

Leia stared at the hand in her lap and murmured, "Maybe it was worth it..."

"Don't say that."

She looked sideways at him and caught the anguish in his eyes before he looked away.

"I thought you were going to die..." he murmured.

" _I_ thought I was going to die," Leia agreed, quietly.


	7. Chapter 7

Solo caught up with his father before he reached the ropes. "Dad?" Perron paused, but didn't look at him. Solo was as uncomfortable as hell, not wanting to admit concern. He fished awkwardly, "Was that true? About being in hiding?"

"Yes."

Solo shook his head and muttered, "I had no idea. I thought you were still on Bankelon."

Perron snorted. "Haven't been on Bankelon for five years. Still…" He glanced sideways at his son, "it's nice to know you're interested."

Solo bridled defensively. "Only so I'd know to avoid the place!"

Perron turned to the ropes. "You'd better get back inside," he said and started down, "or the Kivvies'll kill you."

 _And you'd be really sorry about that, wouldn't you, Dad_?! Solo glared impotently at the ropes. Ten years and his father could still manipulate his emotions as well as ever. He noticed two of the natives watching him carefully and stalked back towards the hut.

"I had _no_ idea what to do," he could hear Luke saying. " _None_! If Han and Chewie hadn't-"

Solo could see them as he approached the doorway, and slowed his approach. The princess had stopped Luke's litany of self-flagellation by putting a hand on his face. Her _good_ hand. Solo almost groaned as he watched her lean across and kiss Luke lightly on the lips. _Why_ did she have to do that? Just when Luke seemed to be getting over his childish infatuation of her!

Standing in the doorway, Solo would have liked nothing better than to turn around and walk out again, but that might compromise his safety, and the last thing he needed was to have his father rescue him from a bunch of xenophobic aborigines. He stood his ground and looked at Chewie. The two metre tall Wookiee had to stoop inside the hut and had made himself comfortable sitting on the floor, examining the surgical tool Perron had used on the princess. He rumbled softly at his friend and Solo knew he understood.

Solo looked at the princess, expecting a barrage of questions, and snapped defensively, "How are you feeling?"

Leia regarded him, her eyes telling him she was aware of the turmoil going through him, and said, "How do I look?"

Solo considered for a moment then answered truthfully, "Like shit."

Leia smiled. "That's pretty much how I feel."

"Will you be able to walk tomorrow?"

"I thought we were flying?"

"We are, but the 'hopper's not in the village."

"I'll be fine," she said, stiffly.

"Good."

Solo turned away, not really knowing what to do, aware of Luke and Leia sharing a look. The princess would have a myriad of questions, he had no doubt; he had spent the last couple of hours fencing Luke's questions. But she seemed content to take her cue from Chewie for now and let him be.

…..

Perron returned with a basket of food and a large bladder of liquid. Chewie greeted the basket eagerly and Solo eyed the bladder suspiciously. "What's this?" he asked.

"Nintwine," his father replied, and poured thick, green liquid into four cups. "It'll help stop any reaction you might have to the food." He deliberately handed one to the princess. "It also helps speed up the healing process."

Leia regarded the cup tightly. "I was expecting a pain-killer, not the local grog."

"Consider it medicine," Perron said, then added. "And it's an excellent pain-killer."

Leia raised it to her mouth, caught a familiar, heavy scent, and jerked it away as though it was poison. "It's got spice in it."

"Not enough to hurt you."

"No," she said emphatically. "I won't take spice. I have a bad reaction to it."

Perron regarded her sternly. "Princess, you will drink two full cups before I leave." Leia opened her mouth to dispute and he held up a finger and warned, "If I have to hold you down and pour it down your throat myself."

Leia pursed her lips and he smiled. She glanced at the others and knew she'd get no help there. Chewie looked downright amused! Peeved, she forced the first mouthful down and grimaced, "It's very sweet."

"It gets better, drink up. I don't want to be here all night."

She swallowed the rest of the cupful and Perron immediately refilled it. Leia stared at the liquid, feeling the warmth spreading through her body from the first. She sighed and downed the second cup.

Perron smiled. "Good girl. Feel a bit better?"

It took her a moment to answer, concentrating as she was on the warm wave, spreading to every extremity. It seemed to dissolve the pain as it passed. Swallow it up. Tentatively, Leia took her first deep breath since the accident and gasped as a new wave crashed over her. A sensation of pleasure that almost made her blush.

Perron watched her face with a knowing smile and she looked at him in amazement.

"What _is_ that stuff?"

"Native brew. Good, isn't it?"

"It's amazing..." Luke reached for a cup and Leia stopped him sharply. "No, don't."

"It's alright," Perron reassured her. "They're not injured so the effect for them is intoxicating, no more. And the spice component helps stop any reaction to the food, as I mentioned before."

"Then why am I feeling...?" Leia didn't quite know how to put it.

"What?" Solo demanded.

"The human body releases an enzyme when in pain," Perron explained. "Nintwine contains a compound which is activated only by that particular enzyme. This directly stimulates the pleasure centre in the brain; quite simply, turning pain into pleasure."

Solo looked at the princess with new eyes and said, "Really?"

Leia ignored him. "And if I drink more?"

Perron shook his head. "The effect is directly proportional to the pain suffered."

"Easily abused," Leia said, matter-of-factly.

"Quite," he agreed. "Anyway, I'll leave you to it. This is the only bed, I'm afraid." He waved a hand at the male contingent. "You lot'll have to make yourselves comfortable as best you can. Don't go out; the Kivvies'll kill you."

"Where are you going?" Solo demanded.

"To join the party. The tribe got the bonus of an entire lazech and they're celebrating."

"That thing Luke killed? Well, tell 'em they're welcome and thanks for the invitation," Solo snapped sarcastically.

Perron indicated the basket, "That's your share; some of the choicest meat. If you really want to come down, you'd probably be tolerated as long as you stayed with me. But you'd have to go naked."

Solo raised his eyebrows at Luke, who smiled and said, "Thanks, I'll give it a miss."

Solo regarded his father disparagingly and said, "Sounds like a cultural extravaganza."

Perron's expression left them in no doubt as to what he thought of his son's cultural appreciation. He started out, thought of something and turned back at the doorway. "Don't touch _anything_."

Solo held his hands up innocently and Perron scowled and left.

Leia poured herself another drink and Luke muttered, "I thought you didn't like it?"

"He's right, it gets better."

"And feels pretty good, I guess..."

Leia glared at him then kicked him hard. Luke yelped and grabbed his shin, and she kicked him again.

" _Yeeoww_!"

He gave her a hotly affronted look and she smiled sweetly. "Drink up."


	8. Chapter 8

Perron Solo sat at the edge of the Kivvidan celebration, getting quietly smashed on nintwine. The music was rapid, excited. It had been all night. And the natives danced and leapt like it was a matter of life or death. Watching them he was entranced, as always, with their form and colour. Small humanoids with a lustrous, red-gold skin. Such a handsome race. Doomed to extinction...

He emptied his cup and poured another. _Damn the Empire and everything it stands for. How dare they come in here and_...

The music stopped sharply, breaking his train of thought. Every one of the dancers had frozen in mid-movement, and were waiting. Waiting for the beat. The life-beat that would turn this festival into a fertility festival. That choice was in the hands of the Shaman, who got his enlightenment from the gods themselves. If the life-beat was called it would bode well for the tribe.

Perron believed the Shaman would call. Tribal morale required it. Only two days ago the entire northern tribe had been incinerated. The Empire was not interested in relocating a particularly vicious bunch of savages, especially when they hampered its progress at every opportunity.

Laughter trickled down from the platform above, taking the drama out of the enforced quiet. Perron frowned up at them, willing them to shut up, and hoping the Shaman would hurry before the moment was ruined completely.

The Shaman was no fool; he had every intention of calling the life-dance. But the four strangers boded portents of immense proportions. And the fact that one of them had killed the lazech while another had survived poisoning by the kibrivask vine meant that they were obviously well favoured by the gods. Too well favoured to kill. And any favour shown to them may well rub off on the tribe. The Shaman had wanted to include them in the ceremony, but the alien medicine man would have none of it. He claimed the girl was too sick. Shaman knew she had suffered hurt from the lazech too, but he also knew the power of nintwine; and the laughter from above proved it.

He looked at the pale-skinned off-worlder and smiled, then started the life-beat low, not letting it drown out the laughter, rather using it as an accompaniment. He would bring the strangers into the dance whether the alien medicine man wanted it or not. With the nintwine in their veins they could not help but join in. So she might not dance with one of the Kivvidan as he hoped, but she would dance with one of her own, which was maybe what the gods preferred.

"The music's stopped!" Luke announced, stating the obvious as he swayed into the doorway. The others crammed up beside him and they all looked out at the torchlit platform that held them, and the impenetrable blackness of the night-time jungle beyond. It told them nothing.

"What do you suppose they're doing?" Luke wanted to know.

"Getting ready for the first sacrifice?" Solo suggested.

For some reason, Leia found the suggestion funny and snickered.

"What's so funny?" Solo looked down at her, squashed between Luke and himself. "It's probably _us_."

Leia tried to contain it, failed, and burst out laughing.

Luke and Solo looked at her and then each other, and burst out laughing too. They all fell back into the hut, feeding on each other's mirth. Chewbacca regarded them, amused, but his size had left him nowhere near as drunk, and he decided he would take a quick look over the platform just to reassure himself that the natives did not have those sort of designs on them after all.

He stepped out and walked over to the edge. He could hear the music again now. It hadn't stopped after all, just got suddenly quiet. The sound of his friends laughing seemed very loud. He looked over the edge and couldn't make out much at this distance. Bright firelight, surrounded by natives... He decided to go back for the macrobinocs in his pouch.

By the time he got back to the hut, a matter of metres, the music volume had increased markedly and was joined by many native voices. Solo immediately started parodying it and was swiftly joined by Luke and the princess, bouncing around the hut pretending to be natives. Chewie ignored them, fetched the binocs and moved back out.

Solo and Luke crashed together accidentally and fell in a heap, both their heads impacting on the wooden floor with a resounding _thunk_. They suffered for five seconds then grinned at each other as the nintwine replaced it with something very pleasant.

"Ahh!" they both said.

Leia was still dancing, oblivious, writhing and twisting with the sort of abandon neither man had seen from her before. She had let her hair down and it swung around her head like it had a life of its own. Both watched her for a moment then grinned at each other and said, "Ahh!"

Perron watched the natives, his mind in turmoil. He knew what the Shaman was doing and glared at him, powerless to stop it. Perron knew he should go up to the group in his hut; warn them. Or at least move the princess away. But then there'd be more chance of the Shaman getting to her. No, she was safer where she was. With his _son_? Who was he kidding? He should at least go up and warn her about his son. His son, who had been instrumental in the destruction of the Death Star. Who had been with the Rebellion for over five months now. His son? _Han_... Perron winced, remembering old arguments, shame and bitter disappointment. Such disappointment.

He swallowed down the last of his cup and reached for the bladder of nintwine nearby. He was about to pour another cup when he noticed the Shaman staring up at their platform.

Chewie peered down at the natives through the macrobinocs and it didn't take him long to figure out what was going on. _Definitely_ not a sacrifice; quite the opposite. They were pairing off at an exponential rate, keeping to the rhythm of the music. In fact the music had changed quite markedly, taking on a much more seductive tone. He glanced back at the hut, wondering if the effect was being felt in there. He looked through the binocs again and found Solo's father sitting by himself, drinking.

The princess started singing, and he looked back at the hut for a moment, intrigued. It was an uncanny match to the natives' music. Then she stopped. Chewbacca guessed the similarity to whatever song it had reminded the princess of had ended. He turned back to the binocs and focussed on a few of the natives. What he saw left a smile on his face and he decided that Han would never forgive him if he didn't share it. Nevertheless, he dallied, fascinated.

The princess started singing again; the same phrase. And Chewbacca realised the music was the same again too. Sure enough, a moment later she stopped. The Wookiee chuckled to himself. The princess drunk was not a sight he ever thought he'd have the pleasure of witnessing. He wondered what sort of hangover they'd have in the morning.

She was singing again, and the Shaman was excited beyond words. She knew the music! Maybe she was one of the gods incarnate? She'd survived the kibrivask hadn't she? Even before the alien medicine man's interference. There was no doubt now - he _had_ to have her. He looked for the large, pale-skinned man, hoping to find him gone, but he was still there. Shaman called one of the women and instructed her to life-dance him and to make sure he was occupied all night.

Then he settled down to wait, thrilling in the sound of her voice each time it drifted down.

Solo was not so thrilled. Once or twice was vaguely funny, but this constant repetition of the same line was seriously irritating. She sang it again and he growled, "Will you please stop?"

Leia paused and looked at him. She was standing by the doorway looking anything but regal.

"No."

Luke looked like he very much wanted her to stop too.

Solo moved towards her. "Why not?"

The princess grinned. "Because you wish it."

Solo glowered at her and it took him a moment, then he finally said, "You like the music so much, why don't you go down and join 'em?"

"Because I'd have to take all my clothes off and I don't want to do that."

"Why not?" he said, giving her a grinning leer. "I'm sure _they'd_ get a kick out of it."

Leia shot him a look. "Besides, they probably wouldn't let me sing."

"This is sounding better and better."

She regarded him defiantly and the music came around again. Leia opened her mouth to sing and stopped with Solo's hand centimetres from her face.

"Not a note," he threatened and Leia had to fight to keep a straight face.

"What'll you do?"

Solo was racking his befogged brain trying to think of something. "You really want to know?"

She leaned towards him and said in a low voice, "I'm quaking with anticipation."

Solo was momentarily taken aback, then he smiled, "Really?" He moved in close and said quietly, "Maybe we shouldn't waste it?"

For a moment their eyes locked and the smiles slipped from their faces.

Leia took a deep breath and looked away. "I'm not myself..."

Chewbacca bustled into the hut, snatching Solo's attention with a tirade of growls and barks.

Solo looked at him with amused disbelief. "What?" The Wookiee handed him the binocs with more instructions and Solo charged out. Not about to be left behind, Luke and Leia hurried out after him.

Solo moved to the edge of the platform and quickly decided that he did not feel sober enough to stand at the edge of such a height. He dropped to his stomach and peered over the edge with the binocs.

"What?" Luke asked, likewise dropping to his belly beside him. "What is it?"

Solo was chuckling in a sordid sort of way. "Oh... yes..."

" _What_?" Luke insisted.

Leia squinted down at the firelight far below, trying to make sense out of the flickering shadows. Solo changed focus and snorted. Luke grabbed at the binocs, tired of waiting, and Solo jerked them out of reach.

"Come on, Han!"

Solo regarded him briefly then smiled and passed the binocs over. "Look 'n learn, kid."

Luke scowled and looked through them at the natives, and froze. He lowered the binocs from his eyes and looked sharply at Solo, and found him grinning like a lunatic.

"What are they doing?" Leia reached for the binocs and demanded, "Give them to me."

Luke pulled away from her, keeping the binocs out of reach. "No!"

Leia unthinkingly snatched at them with her right hand and was rewarded with searing pain up her arm and right side. She pulled back automatically, gasping, then moaned and buried her face in the wood of the platform as an explosion of pleasure threatened to wipe her out.

"Feel good, Princess?" Solo jibed mercilessly.

"Shut up," she said, her words muffled by her arm and the platform.

Solo nudged Luke with his elbow. "Run your hand over her."

Luke frowned, not understanding and feeling guilty for causing her pain. "What?"

A muffled, "Don't you dare," came from the princess.

Solo indicated a seductive caress with his hand. "Like this."

Luke baulked. "No!"

"Oh, go on," Solo encouraged devilishly. "It'll freak her completely."

"Don't you touch me," Leia said as she raised her head. "Give me the binocs."

"Leia," Luke began, "you don't need - "

"Give her the binocs," Solo insisted. Luke gave the Corellian an exasperated look and he grinned delightedly. "That's what she wants."

Luke reluctantly handed them over and Leia held them to her eyes and adjusted the focus. It took her a moment, then she pulled the binocs away and frowned. "What...?" She looked again and Solo held his breath to stop himself hooting with mirth. "What are they doing?"

"What does it _look_ like?!" Solo hooted, unable to contain his amusement.

Leia's blush was obvious, even in the torchlit darkness. But she contained it well. She said matter of factly, "They've turned it into a fertility festival."

Solo grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Still want to go down and join 'em?"

Leia shot him a look and Luke smothered a smile with his hand. Leia looked back through the binocs and asked, "Is your father with them?"

"Probably." Solo reached for the binocs. "Give 'em here." Leia handed them across and Solo aimed them at the fireside gathering below.

"Do you suppose he's...?" Luke didn't know how to put it.

Solo grinned behind the binocs. "Participating? Bound to be."

"Like father, like son," the princess muttered.

"Ha, ha," Solo said through the binocs and Luke snickered.

The clatter of the ropes caught them by surprise and they all looked guiltily over their shoulders. There was a mad scramble for the hut, but natives, elaborately painted and otherwise naked, suddenly blocked the way.

The _Falcon_ crew closed ranks and a small, painted man stepped into the space between them and the hut. Unlike the other natives, this one wore some items of clothing; in particular, shoulder and calf panels of gleaming white stormtrooper armour. He pointed at the princess and yabbered.

Solo and Luke immediately put themselves between him and the princess, and he gestured angrily at them, obviously displeased, his words unintelligible.

"Well, I'm sure!" Solo responded sarcastically. "But if you'd just let us past, we'd like to go inside now."

The native slashed at him with what looked like a claw, tearing his shirt and raking his abdomen. Solo jerked back out of reach and automatically went for his blaster, which he now cursed himself for removing earlier in the evening.

"Son-of-a- _sith_ -" he started, anger sobering him dramatically, and Perron alighted onto the platform behind the natives.

" _I told you to stay in the hut_!" he yelled at them.

The natives all turned to look at the professor, and Luke and Leia took the opportunity to hurry past them into the hut, trying to drag Solo with them. But Han ran a hand across his abdomen and it came back with blood.

"Son of a _bitch_!" Outrage overwhelmed good sense and he shrugged Skywalker and the princess off with the intention of taking the small native on.

Chewbacca bellowed hideously and the natives' attention switched to him. Fifteen centimetre claws demanded enormous respect and the natives fled. All except the one wearing the stormtrooper trophies, and Perron launched into a shouting match with _him_. Solo stalked up to them, prepared to say his bit and fully intending to hit the little savage, but his father turned on him and bellowed, " _I told you to stay in the hut_!"

"Look what he did!" Solo all but shrieked, thrusting his bloody hand under his father's nose.

"What'd I tell you?!" Perron yelled back. "I told you to stay in the hut or they'd _kill_ you!" Solo glared at his father for a moment then turned and stalked towards the hut. "Why you can't follow the _simplest_ command is beyond my comprehension!" the older man yelled after him.

Solo turned and smiled ingratiatingly. "Hey, I wouldn't want your life to be boring!" Perron glared at him and pointed at the hut. "We're _in_ the hut," Solo assured him, shoving Luke and Leia, who had been watching the scene from the doorway, ahead of him.

"Are you alright?" Leia asked urgently. "Does it hurt?"

"Are you kidding?" Solo snapped and reached for his bag. There was no pain. The complete opposite in fact, and Solo understood why it had peeved the princess so much. The pleasure side demanded something more of him. Something that was not available here. He found the antiseptic gel and, without thinking, applied some to the wound. It stung like blazes for maybe half a second, then…

Solo groaned and leaned on the workbench.

"Han?"

He heard Luke approach and held up a hand to stop him.

"It's the nintwine," Leia said quietly.

Solo found himself fantasising about testing the aphrodisiac qualities of the nintwine with the princess and looked at her. A moment of understanding passed between them and Solo nodded.

Done yelling at the Shaman, Perron stormed into the hut and picked up yelling at his son.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?!"

"Just enjoying the _culture_ ," Solo replied tightly, still waiting for the pain/pleasure thing to pass.

"Well the only thing stopping that culture from swallowing you whole is _me_!"

"We're _in_ the hut," Solo insisted and pulled his shirt off over his head to examine the wound more carefully.

"I can't impress on you enough how _dangerous_ it is out there for you," Perron said, gesturing out the door. He turned to the princess. "Especially _you_." Leia had the grace to look abashed and he sighed. She and Skywalker looked most affected by the wine; in fact Skywalker looked like he was going to pass out at any minute. He heard the princess gasp, followed her gaze to his son who had also heard her gasp and had turned to look at her.

"What?" Solo asked.

Leia searched for the right words and came up empty. "Your back…" she murmured.

"Oh." Solo turned back to what he was doing and now they could all see what had so shocked the princess. The Corellian's right shoulder blade carried a large, ugly scar and his entire back bore the fine scar lines that could only have come from a flogging. "Old news, sweetheart," he said dismissively.

Perron was appalled. "What the hell happened to you, boy?"

"You were never interested before, Dad. Why start now?"

It was muttered carelessly, but the truth of the words struck Perron Solo deeply. And it was the very carelessness with which the words were uttered that drove them home so hard. No outrage or bitterness, just fact.

"Aww," Solo growled irritably as he completed his examination. "This is gonna need stitches!"

Perron moved to a drawer and pulled out a tube of skin-glue. "Lie down," he said, indicating the bench so recently occupied by the princess. His son reluctantly complied and Perron immediately set to work, 'stitching' the laceration left by the Shaman.

"What happened to your back, Han?" Perron asked quietly.

"You know me: just couldn't follow the simplest command," was the glib reply, and Perron thought, _I deserved that_.

"I gotta sit down…" Skywalker muttered suddenly and promptly fell in a heap.

"Luke!" Leia cried, and rushed to his side, but bending made her head spin.

Solo and Chewie laughed and Perron assured her gruffly, "He'll be alright." Then indicated to his son that he had finished. Solo sat up carefully and got off the bench.

"Thanks," he said, running his fingers over the careful join.

Leia was trying to straighten Luke out, to make him more comfortable, when the young man jerked into sudden wakefulness and sat up with a yell. Leia jumped but the others looked amused.

Solo moved closer to Luke and said sagely, "Don't fret it, kid. You're drunk."

Luke frowned at him then looked at the princess with something akin to mortification.

"Luke, what's wrong?" she asked, obviously disturbed.

"He's _drunk_ , sweetheart," Solo said, as though trying to explain it to a two-year-old.

"I just saw a baby being born," Luke said in a shocked whisper, and Solo could have sworn he heard fear in the younger man's voice.

Solo laughed. " _What_?" Who the hell had nightmares about _babies_? Unless Luke had been careless with some woman and was stewing about it… But Solo was pretty sure Luke hadn't even _been_ with a woman.

The princess seemed to recognise the look in the younger man's eyes and diagnosed seriously, "Spice dream."

Luke stared at her for a long moment then wiped his hand across his eyes. The Spice was an element Solo realised he hadn't considered, but then why would he? The minuscule amount, which he had been able to taste in the wine, was hardly likely to produce the drug's hallucinogenic effect. Not in a _normal_ person, anyway. Luke, it seemed, was proving once again how _ab_ normal he was.

Solo leaned towards him and teased, " _Whose_?"

Skywalker seemed to consider for a moment, then looked strangely at the Corellian and answered, "Yours."

Perron and the Wookiee laughed and the princess grinned.

Solo looked appalled. " _Mine_?"

Leia held her ribs as she laughed. "Looks like your reputation's going to jump up and bite you, Han! Oooh," she teased mercilessly, "I wonder who the mother will be?"

Luke's eyes riveted on the princess involuntarily and he quickly looked away. But it did not go unnoticed by Perron or the sharp-eyed Wookiee.

"What'd she look like?" Solo demanded.

Luke's gaze turned inward, focussing on the memory. "She had red hair…"

Leia shrieked gleefully, "Gizela!" She hit Solo on the arm. "You're gonna have a baby with Gizela!" Solo looked totally flabbergasted. He was very fond of the princess' medic friend; had actually known her _years_ before… But the thought of having a relationship with her was something he had never considered. Gizela Shalleron was like a sister to him.

"No," Luke corrected. "The baby had red hair."

Solo turned on Luke and growled intolerantly, "I don't care what the baby looked like! What'd the _mother_ look like?"

"So he'll know who to avoid," Perron put in helpfully and Chewie sniggered.

Solo glared at them then fixed an expectant gaze on Luke. Skywalker turned away from him. "I don't know."

"Your mother had red hair," Perron added, deliberately messing with his son's head even more, but Solo forced himself to concentrate on Luke, certain the kid had just lied to him.

"Now, see here, kid-"

"A red-haired daughter!" Leia crowed, obviously revelling in his discomfort. She moved in close to him, grinning, and said, "I hope _I_ get to see it."

"You will," Luke muttered without thinking, then added hurriedly, "We all will."

Solo was deeply suspicious. "Alright, kid, what aren't you telling us?"

"Nothing." Luke hung his head in his hands for a moment, then rested it on his knees and looked up at Han. "It's just a dream, Han."

"A _Spice_ dream," Leia crooned portentously.

Solo shot her an irritated glance then appealed to Luke, "At least tell me what she _looks_ like?"

Luke reached out and pulled a blanket from the bed. "My head's spinning," he said dismissively. "I'm going to sleep."

"Luke-" Solo started.

"Go to sleep, Han," Luke said, arranging the blanket under himself and not looking at the Corellian. "Maybe you'll dream about her."

Leia giggled and Solo scowled at him, peeved. Luke settled himself, bade them a general 'goodnight' and rolled so that his back was facing them, pulling the blanket around himself as he did.

"You'd all do well to follow his example," Perron said. "We'll need to be out of here early." He turned to his son. "Will you be alright?" Solo leaned against the workbench and nodded. "And you?" Perron asked the princess, who had to tear her highly amused gaze from Solo to reply.

"I'll be fine," she said.

Perron inclined his head towards the Wookiee, wordlessly querying his well being, and got a softly rumbled response.

"Back to the party, huh, Dad?" Perron turned to find his son regarding him, arrogantly. "Well tell your little _friend_ that the next time I see him I'm gonna kick his butt all the way to Coruscant."

Perron smiled tolerantly. "He's their Shaman."

"I don't care if he thinks he's the fucking _emperor_ ," Solo responded. "I'm still gonna kick his butt! You tell him."

"I'll tell him," Perron said. "Goodnight."

He left the hut and they heard the rope system clatter as he used it to descend to the lower platform. Solo looked at the princess and she grinned at him and teased, "I'd better warn Gizela."

Solo rolled his eyes at her and went to stand in the doorway, wondering why he felt so certain Gizela would not be the mother, and irritated with himself for being affected by such portentous rubbish.

Chewbacca rumbled at him and sat on the floor at the end of the bed.

"Don't worry; go to sleep," Solo growled, and the Wookiee spoke to the princess.

Leia hazarded a guess, smiled and responded, "Goodnight, Chewie."

He _hurrumpfed_ contentedly and lay down.

Watching him settle, Leia wondered again at the relationship between the Corellian and the Wookiee. She looked at Solo, standing in the doorway, staring out at…what? It was totally dark out there; what _could_ he be looking at? With a sudden flash of understanding, Leia realised it wasn't a question of _where_ he was looking but _when_. He was thinking about his father. _Old_ _news_. Her gaze shifted to the scars on his back and she winced at the thought of the pain he must have suffered and found herself wishing he would tell her what had happened to him.

"Han?" she said, approaching him, and Solo eyed her warily. "What does Chewie call me?"

The wariness was replaced by vague amusement. "What?"

"There's a sound I've noticed he uses when he's talking to me," she explained. "Is it my name?"

Solo regarded her for a long moment and Leia got the feeling he was impressed. "Most human's don't pick up those subtleties," he said, and his mouth quirked up on one side. "You trying to learn Shri-Wook, Princess?"

"Not actively," she admitted and made a mental note to consider it. "It was just something I'd noticed, that's all."

As if punctuating the conversation, the Wookiee snored, making them both smile.

"The direct translation?" Solo asked and Leia nodded. "Wroshr canopy twig." He couldn't help smiling at the look of consternation that swept across her face and relented, adding, "Which, in our term of reference, means something like 'Little Princess'," he said.

Leia smiled. _Little Princess_. That was rather nice. At least it wasn't anything derogatory, but then _that_ was Solo's department, not Chewie's. "And you?" she asked, warming to the subject. "What does he call you?"

Solo grinned. "Apart from all the ones I can't repeat you mean?"

"Yes."

"Cub, mostly."

"Cub?" That _was_ interesting. "So he sees you as his child?" Leia expected him to take offence and was about to kick herself for ruining the flow of what had been the most personal information she had been able to drag out of the Corellian yet. But, surprisingly, he didn't.

"No. No not at all. He has a son. And a mate."

"But a Life Debt to _you_?" Solo nodded and Leia couldn't stop herself asking, "What did you do?"

"Saved his life."

The response was matter-of-fact, deliberately stating the obvious, and Leia sensed the information line was about to dry up. She was getting too close. Nevertheless, she asked, "How?"

"Does it matter?"

"It mattered to Chewie."

"But why does it matter to you?"

"I'm just interested," she said, feeling vaguely defensive.

Solo studied her, and for one hopeful moment, Leia suspected he might actually open up to her, but a bright light flickering through the leaves caught both their attention.

"What _is_ that?" Leia asked, frowning out at it, visions of Imperial troops descending on them dancing through her head. Solo looked just as concerned. The light was intensifying, slowly but steadily getting bigger and, as she realised this, Leia gasped and took a step back. "It's getting closer!"

Watching the light carefully, Solo listened for the natives, for the sounds of blaster-fire and screaming. But none of it happened; the native music didn't even stop. It changed tempo, and they could both hear the native voices singing with it, and still the light continued to get brighter.

Abruptly Solo got it, and chuckled with relief. "It's the moon," he said to the princess' look of alarm. "The first moon."

Leia looked back at the leaf-shattered light and almost laughed as well. _Moonrise. Of course_! "I feel like such an idiot," she muttered, wiping her hand across her face.

Solo smiled at her and admitted, "Had us both going for a minute there!"

Leia let relief wash over her, surprised at how stressed she had suddenly felt, and leaned against the doorpost for support. General Rieekan had been careful of his selection of missions for her since Yavin; this being the first since her ordeal on the Death Star that was likely to bring her in contact with the Empire. An ordeal she had discussed with no one and had no intention of ever doing so. They all knew or suspected she'd been tortured. Gizela Shalleron had treated her physical needs, was aware of her nightmares, but none of them knew what Vader had done… Or what she had been forced to watch…

A familiar wave of desolation washed over her and Leia gave a shuddering sigh.

Solo looked at her, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Leia forced herself to nod and took a deep breath, trying to dispel the nausea that always accompanied the feeling she had recently labelled the 'Death of Alderaan'. "Tired, I guess," she murmured. _Any excuse_.

"Why don't you go to bed?" he asked gently. "You could probably use a good night's sleep."

A good night's sleep? How long was it since she'd had one of those? Ironically, the only place Leia didn't have nightmares was the _Falcon_. Why, she couldn't fathom. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she'd been rescued in the _Falcon_? Or maybe it was just some deity playing with her? It made about as much sense. But, twice now, in a moment of desperation, she'd been guilty of sneaking aboard the freighter when she knew its captain and co-pilot were elsewhere, and had herself eight hours sleep. What she would have said had either of them caught her, Leia had no idea.

The thought of trying to sleep now, while seductive, was out of the question. Sleep would lead to nightmares, nightmares would lead to questions, and questions would involve people and make her think about… _things_ … Leia shuddered.

"No," she murmured, finally answering him. "Not yet." And wondered if she could drink herself into unconsciousness? "Do you want some more nintwine?"

Solo shook his head and she moved back into the hut. Watching as she downed a full cup of the potent wine, Solo suspected she was avoiding sleep. It didn't take much intelligence to figure out the type of nightmares she was subject to and hence trying to avoid. For a moment he wondered what he could do to distract her. _Leave her alone_ , the sensible part of him snapped _. When she wants your help, she'll ask for it_! Would she though? Three weeks ago, while docked on the Rebel ship, he had found her sound asleep in his bunk on the _Falcon_ and, while part of him wanted to read some sort of sexual innuendo into it, Solo knew that was not the case. So he had left her to sleep and not mentioned finding her there.

"Trying to drink yourself into oblivion, sweetheart?" he said as she rejoined him in the doorway.

"Something like that," she muttered.

A shout came up from the natives and they both looked out.

"Second moon's coming up," Solo surmised, seeing a second light-source flickering through the leaves, further south. The twin moons created enough light between them to make some of the world outside the hut visible, but the shifting shadows made it almost impossible to decipher.

The music still drifted up from the natives below and Solo noticed Leia had started moving unconsciously in time to the beat, oblivious to the movements her body was making or how seductive they were. The shirt she was wearing, his _father's_ shirt, was too big and had fallen off one shoulder and Solo found himself moving towards her.

 _Stop now_ , he told himself. _Before you make a complete idiot of yourself_.

But he didn't. Instead Solo stepped up behind her and lifted the shirt back up onto her shoulder. Leia half turned to look at him and the shirt slid off her shoulder again.

Solo smiled and looked at the moons. "Nice view," he said.

"Yes," she agreed.

He looked at her. "Almost romantic."

Leia narrowed her eyes suspiciously then smiled. "You're drunk."

Solo smiled. "So're you." He touched her bare shoulder, running his finger across the powdery warmth of the skin to her neck. She pulled away from him and lifted the shirt back up. "But what made you kiss Luke?" he said, leaning towards her. "You weren't drunk then."

Leia suppressed a smug smile and glanced sideways at him. "Maybe he kissed me?"

Solo chuckled. "Yeah, and maybe the Emperor's a really nice guy."

"If you must know," Leia admitted, guardedly. "I was thanking him for saving my life."

"And my efforts were meaningless?"

"Of course not."

"I could get bitchy about this."

"Or?"

"You could kiss me."

Leia took a deep breath, trying to ignore the nintwine. "What about Chewie?"

" _Chewie_?"

"He helped as much as you or Luke."

"You want to kiss Chewie?"

"I'd rather not, but if you're going to insist on what's fair…" She smiled at his look of chagrin and decided to indulge him.

Taking his face in her hands to ensure she could control matters, Leia pressed her lips softly against his, intending it to be brief, and felt a frisson of pleasure run through her as he responded in kind

For half a second. After that, Solo increased the pressure dramatically.

It lasted longer than either of them intended and awakened something neither of them recognised. Both put it down to the nintwine.

Leia took a step back, feeling lightheaded and unable to look him in the eye. "Thankyou, Han."

Solo swallowed and smiled tightly. "Anytime." And found himself wishing she would kiss him again.

"I'd better lie down," she said, turning her back on the moonlight.

Solo watched her climb onto the bed and moved over beside the snoring Wookiee.

"Goodnight, Han," she said quietly.

"'Night, Leia," he said.

Leia held her breath. Not 'Princess', not 'Holiness': but ' _Leia'_. She rolled onto her left side, touching her lips with her fingers. _Leia_.


	9. Chapter 9

Solo scrounged a blanket and some of Perron's clothes to use as a pillow and lay on the floor next to the Wookiee. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pain in his gut that swiftly became pleasure. His brain was in overdrive, despite his attempts to relax; stewing over how they were going to get to the skyhopper his father claimed was hidden nearby, with the princess on the sick list, and kicking himself mentally for being too drunk to have seen the knife coming. And for kissing her!

Solo rolled onto his side and looked at the bed, wondering what could have possessed him. He sighed. Most of all, he couldn't believe his bad luck at running into his father, and the questions Luke and Leia would be asking once they'd gotten over their initial shock. He closed his eyes and tried to shut it all out.

Despite feeling physically and mentally exhausted, Leia also found herself unable to sleep, her mind a turmoil of images. Particularly, a nightmare visage of coarse, black skin and the putrid stench of decay that had accompanied every bellow from the lazech. She rolled onto her left side, trying to clear her mind, and found herself looking at Luke. He had his back to her, his lightsabre close to hand. Again she thought about their battle with the lazech and wondered where he had learned to wield it so well. Kenobi? Leia didn't think so. From what Luke had told her, there hadn't been time for that sort of training. No, there was some sort of natural gift there. That was evident from the Death Star. But what? The Force? That thought spooked her somewhat, for although she knew the Jedi Knights had been a force for good, her only personal experience of one had been with Vader. Evil incarnate. And while her mission to Tatooine had been to contact Kenobi, she'd never actually got to meet him.

Chewbacca's snoring got louder and Leia heard Solo mutter something and thump the Wookiee, who snorted loudly in response, shifted and resumed snoring at a lesser volume. Leia smiled, letting herself be comforted by the sound, and focussed on the sounds of sleep filling the small hut. She had no doubt that the Wookiee would be the first alert at any sign of trouble and, for the umpteenth time, wondered at the relationship between the Wookiee and the Corellian. The idea of Han thinking of anyone but himself was almost unimaginable. Deep down, Leia knew that wasn't true; he'd rescued _her_ , hadn't he? For _money_ , her practical side insisted. Yes...? Then why was he still with the Rebellion? As his father had said: if he'd really wanted to leave, he would have gone a long time ago.

So why was he still here?

Leia suspected it was a need for friendship. Not that Chewie wasn't a friend, and he was certainly devout, but he wasn't human. And there was a safety in that. But Leia had watched a real friendship develop between Luke and Han, and, finding herself on the periphery, couldn't help feeling a little envious. Han had become like a big brother to both of them, who, despite being almost ten years older, was totally irresponsible. She could just make him out in the dim light, and was surprised to see he was asleep already.

She remembered the holo and carefully reached for it with her right hand. Perron had immobilised the hand, but she found she still had some movement in her fingers. She set the small plate on the bed and activated it. The fifteen centimetre figure appeared, glowing softly, and she stared at it for a long time. Han in an Academy uniform... Even in the small holo there were signs of his non-conformity; his jacket was open, his stance was... arrogant. This time she studied the decorations on his jacket. Valour points, distinctions... all the signs of a star student. _What_ had happened?

The soft light of the hologram grabbed Solo's attention and he recognised it immediately. Why the hell had his father kept _that_? And what the hell was _she_ doing with it? Solo steamed impotently; now she'd be asking all sorts of uncomfortable questions! He looked at her face, lit by the glow from the hologram, and considered saying something, but decided the subject would be harder for her to raise if she thought he knew nothing about it. He wondered what she was thinking, and how he was going to bluff his way out of this one.

The clatter of the ropes startled Leia out of her doze and she guiltily deactivated the holo and replaced the plate on the third shelf. From the sound of the breathing in the hut, everyone else was asleep. She settled back on the bed, wishing for some relief from the interminable heat, and the ropes clattered again.

Leia frowned and wondered if the night-time acoustics made other platform noises louder? The ropes sounded again and this time she felt certain it was the pulley system for their platform. But who would be using those except Perron?

 _The Shaman_ , she thought, and a surge of adrenaline went through her. Then she smelt it. Something sickly sweet and...

Smoke. It was some kind of smoke. But she couldn't see it because it was dark.

Leia closed her eyes, preparatory to the mammoth effort of getting up, and felt her whole body relax. Disturbed, because she knew this was the opposite of what she had in mind, she opened her eyes. Someone or something was moving about inside the hut. Her eyes slid shut and she forced them open again. The smoke was a sedative. Or worse. She had to warn the others... wake them somehow... She tried to move and found her limbs like lead.

Leia forced her eyes open again, with no idea how long they'd been closed, and a distant feeling of alarm. Then she saw him. The one with the stormtrooper souvenirs. The Shaman.

He was bent over Luke, but she couldn't see what he was doing. She saw the claw in his hand, the same one he had used to lacerate Han, and adrenaline gave her the strength to sit up. He turned to her immediately and touched her forehead with his finger. Leia felt her body collapse and tried to scream a warning, but all that came out was a whimper.

But there was an answering whimper from the end of the bed. _Han_. Leia almost rejoiced. Han was awake and fighting it too!

The Shaman looked sharply at the man beside the Wookiee and quickly gauged how much time he had. He was amazed that either of them was awake, let alone able to fight the effect of the smoke. Doubtless it had something to do with the healing the alien medicine man had given both of them. Something he would certainly take into account in the future.

He turned back to the goddess and found her watching him with horror. He touched her forehead and explained that there was no need for fear. Then he raised the lazech claw and cut her shirt open from neck to waist.

Leia wailed soundlessly. Where the hell was Perron?!

The Shaman bared her chest and there was a groan from the end of the bed as Solo tried to move. Shaman ignored him, certain that he would not be able to cross the distance to the goddess.

He took the lazech claw to her breastbone and scribed an intricate pattern in blue dye. The princess hissed and, in an attempt to calm her, Shaman ran a finger from her chin to her belly button, helping to stimulate the nintwine response.

Leia closed her eyes, helpless.

On the floor, Solo was fighting the pain from his wound, the nintwine and the effect of the smoke. He was certain the native was killing the princess; certain he had already killed Luke. He tried to wake Chewie, but couldn't shake him hard enough. In fact, he couldn't shake him at all and the Wookiee slept on, oblivious.

Despite her efforts, Leia had sunk into the same deep sleep that held Chewie and Luke, and was quite unaware of the Shaman's finishing touches.

When he'd finished, the Shaman made a small incantation over her, begging her help, then he looked back at Solo who was dragging himself steadily towards him. Shaman smiled, showing two rows of dirty, ragged teeth, and the look he got from Solo was one of pure hatred.

Shaman left the hut as silently as he'd entered, gathered the two natives he'd left guarding the entrance, and left the platform.

On the lower platform, Perron Solo emptied his cup and stared at the small, flat cartridge of information in his hand, turning it over and over in his fingers. He saw the Shaman descend and a look passed between them.

Perron sighed, pocketed the cartridge, and got to his feet. It had been a compromise.

He went tiredly up to his hut to make sure the Shaman had kept his part of the bargain. By the light of the small lamp he carried, he could tell that most of the smoke had cleared, but he wore a breathmask just to be sure. How the Shaman breathed it without being affected was beyond him.

He stopped in the doorway and looked around in shock. Han had somehow crawled almost all the way to the bed before being overcome, arm outstretched. The princess, too, showed signs of a struggle and the Shaman had left her half-naked.

Perron was furious. He looked at Luke, near the door, peacefully sleeping and showing no signs of having been tampered with. He checked the young man's chest for the mark left by the Shaman and found it; a small intricate design in blue. Now that's how this was supposed to happen!

It seemed the Wookiee, too, had slept peacefully through the whole thing. Then why hadn't the other two? It begged investigation and doubtless had something to do with the fact that he'd worked on them both in the last day.

He moved around to the princess, having to step over his son to do so, and checked for the mark between her breasts, only then realising that the Shaman had marked her face as well! They would _not_ be impressed.

He went to a drawer and pulled out a shirt identical to the one she was wearing. Then he carefully removed the one the Shaman had butchered and replaced it with the new one. He settled her more comfortably, then turned and contemplated his son. At least the idiot Shaman didn't think his son was a god…

Perron frowned, noticing the blue pattern over the scar on his son's shoulder blade. He looked closer and swore.

 _Idiot_ Shaman!

Irritated beyond belief, he left the hut. But instead of going back down to the fire, he sat down just outside, his back against the hut wall.

He didn't trust the Shaman.


	10. Chapter 10

Solo jerked into wakefulness with a feeling of urgency and alarm. A swift check of his surroundings told him everything was as it should be, but he was still left with a strong sense of unease.

He rolled onto his side and sat up carefully, groaning a little as the wound of the night before made its presence felt. The nintwine had worn off, for which he felt surprisingly grateful and in no hurry to top up. At least he didn't seem to have a hangover. His bloodstained shirt was on the floor nearby and his father had left him a clean one on the bench. He didn't feel lightheaded or uncomfortable and took it as a good sign. The strip of synth-skin on his abdomen looked pink and healthy and was already starting to itch.

Chewie and Luke were not in the hut, but he could hear people moving about outside and decided they were probably up. Solo could hear his father muttering about something, and got to his feet, donning the shirt.

A glance told him that the princess was still sound asleep and he walked towards the door, but stopped before he got there, frowning. Something... Solo looked back at her. Something to do with his feeling of unease. He moved closer to her, hoping it would help him sort out... random images; none of which made any sense. Probably just some weird dream...

Looking at her asleep, unselfconsciously relaxed with her hair loose, Solo was struck by how young she looked. The hard, self-controlled edge was gone and she looked rather beautiful. So much strength and determination in someone so... little. He frowned again. Something had happened to her... in the dream...

Unable to fathom it, he shook it off and walked out. Probably a side effect of the nintwine.

He stepped through the doorway and stared at the surrounding jungle in wonder. Morning had unveiled a mist-shrouded, green jewel. Insect and birdsong hung as heavily as the heat, punctuated by animal calls and a homey sort of singsong from the natives below. No, not just below... Solo turned a full 360 degrees. There were platforms all around them! In neighbouring trees for as far as the mist would let him see.

He noticed his father watching him.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Perron said, matter of factly.

"I had no idea the tribe was so big."

"It wasn't. Not until recently. There are five tribes here."

"I'm surprised they get on so well."

"It takes some doing. A major threat to their existence and a very shrewd Shaman."

Solo gave his father a sour look. "I've got a score to settle with him."

Perron held up a warning finger. "Don't you dare. It was your own stupid fault; I told you not to leave the hut." Solo scowled and Perron moved away, "I'll be back in a minute; I'm just going to get something for your friend."

Solo turned and looked at Chewie and Luke. Chewie was eating and greeted him companionably through a mouthful of food. Luke, on the other hand, was sitting morosely on one of their packs, looking like he had the mother of all hangovers.

He looked up seedily at Solo and growled, "I'm gonna kill your father."

Solo chuckled, positively heartened, and patted Luke on the back. "First step on the road to manhood, kid."

Luke was in no mood for any of Solo's wit or wisdom and snapped succinctly, "Shut up, Han."

Solo and Chewie shared amused looks. _Nothing like being the one who doesn't suffer the hangover,_ Solo mused happily. _Or the memory loss_.

The half remembered feeling of unease whispered at the back of his brain and he considered it briefly, then dismissed it. He picked up his bag and started checking the contents.

Leia woke to the sound of someone stomping past.

"Rise and shine, Your Highness," Solo said, picking up the coat he'd come in for. "Or we'll leave without you."

He walked straight out again and Leia stirred and winced. Her right side ached abominably. She sat up carefully, absently scratching at a small red welt on her breastbone, and tried to kick her brain into gear.

They all looked up when she emerged from the hut and, from the expressions on their faces, Leia guessed her appearance was pretty frightful. She had done what she could one handed, and now had to ask for help. Her boots were a complete impossibility, and even her hair... She couldn't imagine what she'd been thinking when she'd let it loose!

Perron returned with a flask and instructions for Luke, and Solo picked up her boots and waved at her to sit down. Leia felt very awkward and started to apologise.

Solo grinned lopsidedly. "Oh, go on; you've always wanted to have me waiting on you hand and foot."

Leia smiled as he pulled her sock on. "How are you feeling this morning?" she asked.

"Glad to be rid of the nintwine and _feeling_ again," he said, finishing one boot.

"Hmm," she agreed and pushed her hair behind one ear.

Solo picked up her other sock. "How're the ribs?"

"I'm making sure I breathe shallow."

Solo smiled and picked up her other foot to put the sock on, but his thumb slipped and ran across the bottom of her foot. Leia jerked reflexively and she started to apologise at the same time as he did. Then a devious gleam flickered across his face.

"Ticklish?"

"Not usually, no-" Her foot twitched again as he delightedly ran a finger along the bottom of it. "Han!" she protested.

Solo grinned at her and did it again. "No?"

"Han, stop it!" She was starting to get angry.

He made a placating gesture and was pushing the sock over her foot when he noticed something on the side of her face and frowned. Leia froze, thinking he'd spotted some sort of insect crawling on her.

"What?" she asked fearfully.

Solo reached up and gingerly touched her temple and Leia eyed him warily. _What_ was he looking at?

"Son-of-a-sith…" Solo murmured.

" _What_?" Leia demanded.

Perron approached with the flask. "And how are my patients this morning?" he asked. He poured a cup and held it out to Leia, observing with some humour, "With your hair like that, you look remarkably like Chewbacca."

Solo turned a baleful gaze on his father without removing his hand from the side of her face, and Perron suddenly looked evasive.

"It isn't permanent," he told them.

Leia's good hand flew to her temple. "What isn't permanent?" she demanded, seriously alarmed.

"It's harmless and it kept the Shaman happy," Perron said.

" _Why_?" Solo asked darkly.

"The Shaman?" Leia ran her fingertips over both temples. "What has he _done_?"

"He's put blue marks on your face," Solo told her.

"While they're there, no Kivvidan will harm you," Perron said. "In fact, they will do everything in their power to protect you. Even die for you."

Leia frowned, disturbed. "Why?"

"He thinks you're a goddess," Perron admitted.

Solo snorted. "Because she survived that vine?" he asked, busying himself with her other boot.

"That was part of it."

"What's wrong, Han?" Luke jibed happily. "Jealous?"

Solo looked at Luke and then at his father, astonished at the younger man's recovery. "What'd you give Luke?"

Perron smiled and offered the cup he was holding to the princess who received it guardedly. While she was relieved to be rid of the pain/pleasure stupor she'd spent last night in, Leia was also well aware that, in her present condition and without pain relief, she would slow them down considerably.

Perron read the indecision on her face and said, "I would, if I were you. The 'hopper's not far away, but nor is it an easy hike."

Leia drank it down, consoling herself that it was only one cup. She stood up and filled her lungs with the sweetly pungent, moist Galadan air, and a familiar warmth spread through her body. She ignored it and reached for her pack.

"Not a chance." Luke intercepted with a smile, hefting her pack onto his shoulder.

Leia smiled, "Thanks." A flicker of annoyance crossed her face as she tried to keep her hair out of her eyes. "Shall we go?"

Perron smiled and produced a strip of native cloth, "Turn around."

Leia guessed his intent, sighed and turned around. Perron swiftly bound her hair into a thick, colourful sausage, matter of factly donned his son's pack then lead them to the ropes and they fell into step behind him.

Miffed, Solo followed last. Perron had left the flask of nintwine at the edge of the platform and Solo picked it up, slipping it into his pouch. In all his travels he had never seen anyone come out of a hangover as quickly as Luke had. And it had only taken a sip. Used prudently the entire flask could well last him a couple of years. Hell, he could probably have it analysed, copied and market the stuff! It could make him rich.


	11. Chapter 11

Perron took them up one platform, taking the princess with him as the immobilisation of her hand made it impossible for her to use the ropes by herself. He then put them all into harnesses and they found themselves travelling across the forest on a similar, but horizontal rope system. The princess clung to the professor for dear life and Perron smiled.

"Quite a way to travel, don't you think?" he said.

"Quite," Leia agreed.

Looking around, Leia was glad they were doing this in daylight. At least she could see how far she might fall... Well, no that wasn't quite true. In fact, as they were travelling between the top and middle canopies, she couldn't see the forest floor at all. But she could appreciate the forest's beauty. The early mist had all but faded, leaving a singing, green thing, alive like one enormous animal. Even the air was full; awash with insects and thick with humidity. Occasionally she caught glimpses of sun-drenched blue through gaps in the canopy above and wondered how she could have ever thought of the jungle as horrible.

Perron smiled at her obvious appreciation, pleased. "You like the forest?"

Leia regarded him with sudden understanding of why he stayed. "It's beautiful."

"It's deadly," he reminded her.

She smiled. "I know."

The next platform they landed on brought them face to face with a group of Kivvidans. The natives obviously knew and tolerated the professor, but turned threateningly towards the others as they arrived. Perron was reassuring the Kivvidans in their own tongue, but the natives weren't having any until they got a good look at the princess. Then their attitudes changed dramatically. They bowed, all but prostrating themselves before her.

Leia looked awkwardly at Perron who smiled and removed her harness.

Solo regarded the prostrate natives happily and reholstered his blaster. "This is good," he said. The natives looked up at him and he took a step closer to the princess. "I'm with her," he said, then put an arm around her shoulders and added, "We're _all_ with her."

The Kivvidans rose and approached Leia who took an automatic step backwards. Solo let her go and his hand dropped to his blaster again.

"It's alright," Perron assured the princess. "They just want to touch you."

Leia tried to look calm as the natives stepped closer to her. One of them touched the markings on her temples, then her chest. Leia followed his hand and frowned. There were more blue marks between her breasts.

She pulled the shirt down, revealing the design and looked to Perron for an explanation. The Kivvidans were nodding sagely and one of them moved over to Luke and pointed at his chest.

Frowning, Luke checked inside the undershirt he was wearing, then pulled the front of it down so that the others could see the blue marks on his sternum. Chewbacca looked at Solo who was frantically checking his own chest. The Kivvidans chattered at them and Luke looked to Perron for an explanation.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

Perron studied the mark on Luke's chest and said, "It marks you as sherchlah."

The Kivvidans nodded and echoed the word.

"Jedi," Perron translated.

Luke's expression became intense and he asked sharply, "Is that what Leia's says?"

The professor shook his head. "A fertility sign," he said dismissively. "Sign of a woman. It's the designs on her temple that mark her as special."

"A goddess," Solo reconfirmed, and Leia got the impression he was reassuring himself that it would keep the Kivvidans at bay rather than making fun of her.

"Yes," Perron said and directed them towards the ropes.

"You don't have one?" Leia asked Solo, who shook his head happily and hooked his feet into the ropes.

"I almost feel left out," he said grinning at Luke and launching off the platform.

…..

They reassembled on the ground, all but Perron looking around nervously. The lazechs, he assured them, were twilight hunters, but they weren't convinced. It had been mid afternoon when they'd been attacked yesterday.

Leia had opened her mouth to point out this fact when a bone-shaking **BANG** chased all conversation away. The shockwave that followed threw her against Perron and knocked them all to the ground. The forest shuddered and the princess clung to the professor in sheer terror as the ground beneath them rippled.

Two metres behind them, Luke shrieked, "What the hell was _that_?!" He and Solo were both struggling to their feet, looking around frantically for the source when the heat wave from the blast came through and almost knocked them flat again.

Leia found her voice before her brain was fully in gear, "That was... That was..."

"That was a blast from space!" Solo yelled.

Perron had managed to find his feet and helped her to do likewise, answering darkly, " _That_ was the Empire."

Leia stared at him, horror in her eyes as her mind finally identified the bang. "A Star Destroyer?"

He nodded, "It's in permanent orbit."

" _Why_?" Solo demanded.

Leia felt a sudden rush of relief and respect for Solo's landing. They could have easily been caught. She also realised that while the blast had felt horribly close, it was probably at least fifty kilometres away. But her mind still hadn't managed to come up with a reason for the blast.

"What are they doing?" she asked.

"What the Empire does best: raping the planet." He started them moving again and Leia hurried after him, waiting for an explanation, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

She concentrated on watching where she was putting her feet, trying to calm herself, but feeling a surge of anger rising to replace her shock. And with nowhere to focus it but at Solo's father.

" _Why_?" she insisted. "What do they want?" She shook her head, struggling to find the words, "And what do they gain by blasting the planet?"

"Lazechs."

He had said it so quietly she almost missed it.

"What?"

The professor hastened his pace and insisted on keeping his attention focussed on the jungle, but Leia would not be discouraged, and hurried to keep up with him.

"Professor-?"

"Some idiot," he muttered, "discovered that the glands of the lazechs, that beast which nearly killed you, carried an enzyme that was eagerly absorbed by the natives' bodies; in particular, their muscles. He noticed that the natives ate it the night before a lazech hunt. It gave them augmented abilities. Greater speed, strength, hearing, sight... It only lasted a day, and left them completely exhausted, but it assured a successful hunt, usually without casualties.

"The idiot decided he could help the natives by refining it. Removing the side effects and lengthening its effective time. Unfortunately, he was too stupid to conceal his efforts and the university caught on and immediately applied his discovery to humans. The Empire arrived soon after, lured by the promise of superhuman stormtroopers."

"But," Leia frowned, trying to sort it out, "how does the blasting help?"

"They sight nests," Perron explained. "Hit just to one side, killing everything within two or three k's, then move in and take the little they need."

Leia was aghast, "They're blasting the planet just to kill the beasts?!"

"As you've seen yourself, the lazechs are impervious to small blaster fire. They are also surprisingly intelligent. They run in family groups, except for the adolescent males, and are the most successful hunters I've ever come across. The only way to kill them involves getting too close. And the mortality rate for unskilled hunters is very high; the Empire lost an entire battalion of stormtroopers during their first attempt."

Leia had to curb a malicious smile at the thought of a lazech slaughtering stormtroopers. "How do the natives kill them?" she asked.

"Where do you think the Imperials learned the trick with fire?"

"What are they planning to do? Burn the whole planet?" It was said sarcastically, but the look on Perron's face told her he thought that was exactly what they had in mind. Horrified, Leia asked, "What about the natives?"

"What about the natives?"

"But they can't-"

"They already _have_."

Leia gaped at him, appalled, but Perron kept walking and didn't look at her.

"Can't it be synthesised?"

"Not as cheaply as it can be harvested."

Something was starting to make awful sense to the princess. University geneticist studying the local ecology...

"It was you," she said.

Perron looked sharply at her then busied himself checking their position on his map.

"You were the one who discovered it."

Luke, Solo and Chewbacca caught up and Solo demanded, "What the hell is going on here?"

"What made you sell it?" Leia asked Perron, scathingly.

That made him look at her. "I didn't sell it!" he growled defensively. "The university sold it!" He stalked ahead down the narrow path.

"So you ran away?" she snapped, following him. "Why didn't you fight it? Say you'd made a mistake?"

"And draw attention to who discovered it?"

If Leia had been appalled before, she was doubly so now.

"Besides," Perron continued, "the samples had already gone through; and don't you think the university would have tested it before contacting the Empire?"

Leia was almost shaking with fury. "So that absolves _you_?"

"Spoken like a true idealist and rebel," Perron snapped.

"That's why you're here, isn't it? Living with the natives. You think it'll make it easier to live with yourself," she observed, darkly.

Perron looked her in the eye. "You're quite right." Then walked away. "But the nintwine helps me sleep."

"And when there's no more forest?" she called after him. "No more natives? Where will you go then?"

"Somewhere else."

Leia yelled after him, "You're not hiding from the Empire, Professor Perron Solo! You're hiding from _yourself_!"

She steamed impotently and turned hotly to face the others, quietly observing.

Solo smiled, "You and Dad seem to have hit it off."

Leia glared at him and snapped, "You're so alike!"

Solo was deeply insulted but Luke was worried about being left behind. "Come on, come on!" he harassed them and dragged the princess with him as he hurried after the professor.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked, keeping his eyes on the man in front.

"The Empire," she answered, grimly.

Luke looked at her sharply, "Is he working for them?"

Leia sighed and shook her head, "No..."

"What was that blast?"

"They're using a Star Destroyer to hunt those beasts- like the one you killed."

Luke grimaced at her for a moment then hurriedly concentrated as they followed in Perron's wake into a thicket of vines.

"Dare I ask why?"

"Harvesting an enzyme which could result in super-human stormtroopers."

Solo and Chewie had caught up with them and Solo said, "What?"

"Something your father discovered," Leia explained.

"And the Empire exploited," Luke added.

"Is that the answer the Rebellion's looking for?" Solo asked. "That's why the Empire's here?"

"We still need to find the operative," Leia said.

They stepped out of the tangle of vines into what had once been a clearing, at the centre of which was an older style skyhopper, laughably overgrown with vines and mosses.

Solo stopped in his tracks, appalled. "How long since you've flown this?"

His father, who was already at the 'hopper, struggling to remove plant-growth from the hatch, didn't pause or hesitate, "Not long."

The others shared sceptical glances and Solo muttered, "Yeah, sure."

It took Chewie's strength as well as Luke's lightsabre to clear the overgrowth from the hatch, but they finally got it open and Perron pushed his way through to the pilot's seat. A move that served to irritate his son further.

"Let me -" Solo started, but the withering look he got from his father shut him up.

"I _can_ pilot a skyhopper, you know," Perron sniped as his son slid into the co-pilot's seat. Solo doubted they would get off the ground and was seriously worried about their flight worthiness if they did. From the look of it, the 'hopper hadn't been flown in over a year.

Chewie, Luke and the princess crowded into the two-man passenger space behind him, Leia literally having to sit in the Wookiee's lap.

The 'hopper started faultlessly and Perron shot his son an 'I told you so' look. He lifted it a little drunkenly into the air, working his way up through the forest levels. About two hundred metres up, it lurched sickeningly to one side and Solo gave his father a baleful look, then the ship levelled out and Perron smiled.

"See?"

Behind them, Luke, Chewie and the princess looked unconvinced.

They cleared the trees and brilliant sunshine had them all squinting until the automatic filters in the cockpit canopy kicked in and darkened it to a comfortable level. Below them, a verdant carpet stretched to the horizon in every direction except one. Leia regarded it grimly, silently pointing it out to Luke and Chewie. Luke had to strain to see past the Wookiee, but looked just as grim as he contemplated the thick plume of smoke rising from a distant stretch of forest.

"Is that the blast we heard?" he asked Perron.

The professor glanced at it and nodded, then pointed in the opposite direction, "There's the university."

It was not as much of an eyesore as Leia had expected. It was large and rambling, and reminded her of the temples on Yavin four in that it seemed a part of the forest somehow. Just as overgrown, but in a more controlled way. She suspected it would be a very pleasant place to work.

Perron veered the ship towards it and the skyhopper bucked again. He took them higher, hoping the ship would clear its throat, but it continued to shudder uncomfortably.

 _I don't like this_ , Leia thought loudly to herself, feeling less and less confident in the professor's piloting ability.

The ship bucked again and Solo gave an alarmed yelp, "Dad! What the hell are you doing?!"

"It's alright. We don't have far to go-"

The ship lurched to one side again and Solo growled intolerantly, "You've lost your starboard stabiliser!"

"We'll make it-"

"Take us down, now!" Solo insisted.

"No, we'll be-"

"You'll stall!"

Perron pointed at the fast approaching university, "There's the landing platform-"

The ship stalled.

Perron looked at the controls, stunned, but Solo didn't waste a second. "Switch it over to me!" he demanded.

Perron didn't argue and hastily switched control of the ship to the co-pilot station. Solo cut their power and set everything to give them as much lift as possible. "If there wasn't so much crap in the system..." he scolded.

"It's always worked fine for me," Perron muttered defensively.

Solo shot him a look that stated plainly, 'Yeah, sure, Dad'. He threw the switches to start them up again, but nothing happened. Pause. Try again. Nothing. Now he was getting seriously angry.

Luke had his eye on the swiftly approaching landing platform but, more particularly, the too close for comfort blanket of trees, and murmured, "Han..."

Solo was vibrantly aware and held little hope for them if they had to crash. He switched on again. _Nothing_. He slammed is fist into the instrument board in impotent fury and the engine coughed into life. The others breathed a sigh of relief, but Solo was not so happy.

"'Bout bloody time," he muttered, still fighting with the controls. "Hang on, kids, it's gonna be a rough landing." He frowned. Something was crawling up his leg. He thought he'd felt something a moment ago, but had been too busy to think about it. Now he was too busy trying to land without stabilisers, but he chanced a glance down...

"What the-"

... and shrieked.

Winding its slimy way delightedly up his leg was a huge, green and yellow slug. The ship lurched in direct response to his reaction and the passengers wailed.

"Dad!" he demanded. "Get it off me!" He struggled to regain control of the ship, wishing he'd never looked down. "Dad!" Solo glanced at his father and found him looking at the slug with something akin to wide-eyed terror. "Get it off me!"

Perron glanced at his son, then back at the slug. "Zrolog," he said. "Very dangerous."

"Get it off me!" Solo yelled.

Luke leaned forward, "Perron, open the hatch."

Perron looked at him then moved to comply. "Don't touch it with your bare hands; it'll take your skin off."

Solo almost whimpered, "Oh... great..." He could feel the thing moving up his thigh and forced himself to concentrate on flying.

Perron opened the hatch and a gale swept through the cabin. Luke removed his cloak, wrapped it around his hands and reached for the slug.

"Be careful!" Leia breathed tensely and Solo thought, _Fine! What about me?_ "Get it off me," he growled darkly.

Luke was watching the slug, "Fly the ship, Han."

Solo tried to concentrate but the slug was moving into his lap. What the hell was Luke waiting for?

" _Luke_..."

"Fly the ship, Han."

The slug lifted half its body off his leg, waving pseudopod antennae at his torso and foaming with anticipation at the meal before it. Luke seized his chance, grabbed the slug and flung it, with his cloak, out the hatch. Perron slammed the hatch shut as though he thought there was a chance the slug might somehow get back in.

Luke sat back and expelled the breath he'd been holding. He looked at the princess and found her gazing at him with unparalleled admiration. Solo, too, was breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, kid."

Luke couldn't quite suppress a cocky smirk. "Was just a slug, Han."

Solo shot him a fierce look, "Say that when you've got one crawling up your leg."

Luke grinned, "Fly the ship, Han."

….

The flight controller shook his head at the state of the 'hopper as it limped onto the landing platform, trailing a profusion of vines and creepers, and muttered about crazy university students.

Then they piled out; three filthy humans, an even filthier Wookiee and a feral professor. The flight controller rolled his eyes and thanked the local deity that he wasn't the tech who'd have to clean and repair that ship.

…

Perron closed the hatch behind them and threw his son, what he deemed was a well-earned morsel of praise, "Well done, son. Expertly handled."

Solo glared at him, "No thanks to you. You would've let that thing eat me alive!"

The older man sniffed and headed off the platform. "I was talking about your flying."

The others fell in behind him.

"Again, no thanks to you!" Solo sniped. "How long since you've flown that thing? A _year_?"

Perron shrugged and said non-comittally, "About that."

"You could have got us all killed!"

Perron smiled. "With the Academy's star student as pilot? Hardly."

Solo glanced guiltily at the others. They said nothing but were getting everything. He waved his finger hotly at his father and warned, "Now, listen, Dad-"

"I'm sorry about the zrolog," his father admitted. "It sort of took me by surprise."


	12. Chapter 12

Perron led them across the campus towards one of the larger buildings and, looking around the grounds, Luke decided that anything that stood still longer than ten minutes would be in acute danger of being overgrown. Everything, even the lawn seats, had something growing up or over it. Testimony to such a fertile climate.

There were a variety of humans and otherwise out enjoying the late-morning sunshine. Some studying, others conversing in groups. One group was having a very heated and excited debate about something. But none of them gave Perron's little group a second glance. The Wookiee, yes, but not the humans with him. Luke guessed they looked pretty typical for a returning field-study group. He smiled and took a deep breath, wallowing in the university atmosphere.

"I always imagined the Academy would be something like this," he said to the princess walking beside him.

She smiled, regarding him, "Did you ever want to go to university?"

Luke shook his head, "No, just the Academy." He looked at her. She seemed to be enjoying the walk as much as he was. "How about you?"

"I..." Leia looked away, remembering how she'd felt when a lot of her peers had gone to university and how much they'd enjoyed it. And how jealous she'd been. "It was never an option."

"Because of who you were?" Leia nodded and Luke pressed, "What would you have done? If you could have gone?"

Leia looked at him sheepishly and admitted, "If I could have gone, I would have gone to the Academy."

Luke was surprised. " _Really_?"

Leia nodded and Luke found himself assaulted by a host of alternate possibilities that their lives might have taken… If things had been different.

"I always loved flying," she said distantly, her attention caught by a nearby couple who were kissing intently.

Luke's attention was caught by a fracas from one of the nearby buildings. They could hear things smashing and lots of yelling in a variety of languages.

"What's that?" he asked, frowning at the building.

"The Jedi house," Solo quipped, then grinned appreciatively at the Wookiee who chortled at his comment.

Perron scowled and waved his hand dismissively. "Happens on every campus," he said. "Don't ask me why. _Most_ sentient beings come to university to _learn_. That lot see it as an excuse to run riot."

They watched as two young men fled the building under a hail of alcohol containers in various states of depletion. The two men were half-naked and laughing hysterically.

Luke shot Solo a sour look, which only seemed to amuse the Corellian more, then he asked Perron, "Why?"

"It's called _enjoying yourself_ ," Solo answered, chuckling, then rolled his eyes meaningfully at Chewbacca before looking back at them and adding, "But none of _you_ would know anything about that."

Leia couldn't help herself. "Yes," she agreed condescendingly, "I could see _you_ fitting in very well with that sort of crowd."

Solo eyed her smugly, happy to have got a bite. "We had a name for _your_ kind too, Sweetheart."

"Particularly unimaginative, I'll bet."

Solo turned and faced her, hip-hitched. "You know, I almost wish we could have gone through the Academy together. I _really_ would have enjoyed taking you down a peg or two."

"Not to mention shagging her senseless," Perron muttered under his breath. They all looked at him, shocked, and he looked at Chewbacca and asked, "Do they always fight like this?" The Wookiee nodded emphatically, highly amused, and Perron added snidely, "Must be love."

He set off again and Solo hurried after him. "Listen, Dad," he said indignantly. "I don't care what you-"

Perron rounded on him and snapped, "Are you involved with her?"

"No!" Solo replied hotly.

"Are you?" Perron demanded of Luke, who shook his head. Perron waved his hands at both of them. " _Why not_?"

Affronted, Leia stammered, " _Professor_ -!"

" _Look_ at her!" Perron berated them. "Are you _blind_?!"

It was a backhanded compliment and Leia was struggling to figure out a way to chastise him for it. "Professor…" she started.

Solo was working up some sort of denial when Perron paused and regarded both men through narrowed eyes. "You're not involved with each other, are you?"

Leia hooted with mirth while Solo rolled his eyes at his father, "Dad!"

Chewbacca was laughing too, and Luke regarded the professor with a vaguely befuddled smile.

"I've found it safest never to assume these things," Perron said, continuing across the lawn to the entrance of the Medical Centre.

Leia was still chortling and Solo gave her a gentle shove. "Alright, alright, you've had your laughs."

Luke, on the other hand, was fast deciding that Perron was right. Leia was gorgeous and he and Solo were insane. And it wasn't that he couldn't see it. He'd always been able to see it. So why hadn't he done anything about it? Sure, Leia didn't encourage him, but she didn't encourage Solo either and the Corellian flirted with her every chance he could.

The Spice-dream he'd had the night before came back to haunt him and he looked at Solo, laughing with and teasing the princess. And, for the first time in his life, felt pure, unadulterated envy.

Perron pointed to the western end of the building as they caught up. "There's a big spa facility there. Caters for all types," he said, glancing at the Wookiee. "Go feed yourselves into an autovalet. Her Ladyship and I will meet you in the student dining hall in an hour."

Leia looked at him sharply and wondered sourly if she was going to have to put up with both Solos giving her sarcastic titles.

Perron refused to meet her gaze and added as an afterthought, "And try to come out looking like students."

Chewie was rumbling pleasantly in anticipation of food and Solo herded him away. Luke gave Leia's uninjured hand a reassuring squeeze and followed them.

Without another word, Perron turned and walked into the building. Leia steamed briefly then looked at her bandaged hand and knew she had no choice but to follow him. He was as petulant and childish as his son, and she was determined to get her own back by letting him know how alike they were. But, for the present, she followed him through the maze of corridors in silence. Students dribbled past, paying them no heed.

As they neared their destination, Perron murmured to her in a low voice, "Your name is Nerila Otat-Ris. You have been injured during a field-study excursion. And I will do the talking."

Leia nodded and followed him into the campus medcentre. There were three people sitting in the waiting area, all of whom stared at her and the professor. A young, female receptionist eyed them distastefully until she recognised Perron and looked openly surprised.

"Professor Solo, they found you?"

"I need to see Obel Tevorac immediately," Perron snapped.

"I'm sorry, sir; he's with someone."

The young woman's eyes were darting furtively back and forth between Perron and Leia, trying to fathom their relationship. Perron glowered at her and she visibly quailed.

"I don't care if he's with the Emperor himself!" he growled succinctly. "I have a student here with kibrivask poisoning who may well drop dead at any moment!"

The woman's eyes flashed over Leia, paused on her bandaged hand, then back to Perron.

"I'll tell him you're here, sir. Go through to Surgery Four."

Perron inclined his head melodramatically. "Thankyou."

He had started to lead Leia away when the woman stopped them, "Oh, wait," she pointed at Leia, "I need your ID"

Perron sighed irritably, "I'm sorry, we don't have her ID"

Now it was the woman's turn to look peeved, "Well, I'm sorry," she shook her head, "I can't-"

Perron gave her a withering look, "I will fill out the necessary forms-"

"But I need her ID" she insisted.

"Her ID is in the belly of a lazech!" he bellowed. "Maybe you'd care to fetch it?"

He turned and stalked away, dragging Leia with him and loudly muttering about bureaucracy.

As they walked into the nominated surgery, Leia ventured quietly, "What are you going to-"

Perron silenced her with a look and directed her to a chair on the far side of the room. It faced a wall, surrounded by equipment that looked very similar to the variety in the professor's hut. Leia sat, feeling vaguely nervous for the first time, and stared at her bandaged hand.

A moment later a man burst in, bristling with irritation and curiosity. Of average height and painfully thin, Leia decided he was the sort of man who would forget to eat.

"Solo?" he demanded, "What's this rubbish about kibrivask?"

Perron indicated Leia, "Poisoned yesterday."

Obel Tevorac eyed her clinically for a moment then asked, "Why isn't she dead?"

Perron smiled amiably, "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me."

 _Oh, well done, Professor_ , Leia thought. _Get on his good side by making him feel needed._

"Genetic?" Tevorac suggested.

"Possibly."

Tevorac hustled around to her chair and sat opposite, pressing a panel on the wall that promptly slid out between them, creating a small work table. "You gave her the antidote of course?" he said to Perron and rapped soundly on the panel, indicating to Leia that he wanted her hand there. She obliged, wondering why she felt so reluctant all of a sudden. Perron grunted affirmatively, nodding, and Tevorac pulled on a macrovisor.

He carefully removed the bandage and Leia was shocked at the state of her naked hand. It was white where the bandage had been, and the wound itself had not been cleaned. Dirt stood out sharply against the pallid skin and the wound was encrusted with dry blood and obviously infected. It smelled, ached terribly, and it was with some surprise and a little disappointment that she realised the nintwine was no longer in her system.

Leia started to move her fingers in an attempt to flex her hand and relieve some of the discomfort, but Tevorac had a vice-like grip on her arm in a flash.

"Don't move," he snapped, and Leia froze. Without looking away, he pulled an instrument from the wall and moved it over her hand, directing light into the wound. "How did this happen?" he asked.

Leia looked at Perron who answered matter of factly, "We had a run in with a lazech. Threw her into a patch of vines." Tevorac's eyes appeared over his visor to look at Perron, who nodded, "Yes, yes; a few broken bones, but I fixed all that."

Tevorac returned to his scrutiny of her hand. "You won't mind if I scan her afterwards?"

Perron obviously wasn't pleased, but nodded acquiescence nonetheless.

Tevorac put away the light, removed his visor and reported, "Remarkably, there is only one capsule with a very small tear. The poison is being released extremely slowly which, I'd surmise to say, is probably why she's still alive."

Perron nodded and Tevorac turned away while he reached for something. "Do you want a shield?" he mumbled.

Leia looked at Perron, uncertain to whom Tevorac had been speaking.

"Do you want to watch?" Perron translated quietly.

Leia immediately looked back at her hand and said, "Thankyou, I'll watch."

Tevorac didn't even acknowledge her as he attached an instrument to the appropriate nerve, numbing her hand.

Leia attempted to force herself to relax, and a hand on her shoulder made her look at the bearded professor. He smiled reassuringly and Leia guessed she was fooling no one; she was more than a little nervous and the Imperial medic was putting her on edge.

Tevorac was arming himself with a variety of tools, finally pulling from a wall socket a shockingly familiar device. Momentarily transported back to her cell on the Death Star, Leia flinched.

"Don't move!" he snapped, and Leia apologised, struggling to control her instinctive response, then noticed he was looking at her, really looking at her for the first time.

Leia looked back at her hand, unwilling to meet his gaze. His attitude... His demeanour... The intricate tool was not the only thing reminding her of Vader's gentle persuasions and it horrified her to think that her life was in the hands of some second rate torturer. The hand on her shoulder tightened just perceptibly and she mentally clung to it, grateful beyond words.

Tevorac put his visor back on and was about to look down at her hand when he froze and seemingly stared at her chest. Unable to see his eyes, Leia took it at face value and was hotly insulted. Just the thought of an Imperial leering at her... It gave her back the confidence that had been so seriously shaken a moment before.

Perron had a very good idea what the sharp-eyed surgeon had spotted and hoped he would have the good sense not to say anything in her presence.

Tevorac put his head down and started seriously working on her hand, while Leia watched with detached fascination as he dug for something only he could see. Shortly, he removed a small lump of bloody tissue to the dish beside her hand, and relaxed visibly.

"The capsule is out," he muttered, engrossed with her hand once more. He probed a little longer, making sure there were no more poison capsules, then finally set about cleaning her hand and sealing the wound.

"Try not to stress it for a few days," he said, gluing a thin strip of synth-flesh into place. "It may hurt for a little while but you should have full use of it within a week." He made a few finishing touches then detached the instrument affecting the nerve in her wrist and feeling flooded back into her hand. He removed his visor and looked at her, "You're very lucky, you know."

"I know," Leia replied thickly, managing to avoid eye contact by watching her hand as she flexed it experimentally.

Tevorac took the small dish containing the sample to the scanner beside his desk and entered it. A moment later the image came up on the monitor. He pointed, "There's the offender. Can you see?"

Leia thought she could and nodded, but remained where she was, not wanting to get any closer to the medic than she had to. Perron, on the other hand, moved in closer, fascinated.

"Definitely kibrivask," Tevorac said.

"I think I'd know kibrivask when I see it," Perron snapped.

Tevorac nodded placatingly, "Of course. But her survival?"

"Is remarkable for a human, yes, but not unique. You wanted to scan her I believe?"

"Mmm." The thin man turned to Leia and waved a hand at the large scanner. "Get in, get in."

Leia got a reluctant nod from Perron and moved across to the bed. Tevorac activated his terminal and the scanner closed around her.

The moment it closed, but without taking his eyes off the bio-displays rolling up the screen, Tevorac demanded, "Who is she, Perron?"

"A student," Perron answered simply.

"What's her name?" he growled, moving one hand to another terminal.

"Nerila Otat-Ris -"

"Is missing, presumed dead," Tevorac read as the information scrolled up.

"Yes, I know; I found her in-"

Tevorac gave him a hard look, "Don't lie to me, Solo." He pointed accusingly at the scanner. "That girl has been through Imperial Interrogation. Believe me, I know the signs. Besides," he added quickly as Perron opened his mouth to dispute, "according to her genetic pattern, Otat-Ris was dark-skinned."

Perron shut his mouth.

"And what was all the Kivvidan markings?" he demanded.

"They... think she's a god," Perron admitted.

" _Why_?"

"I have no idea."


	13. Chapter 13

The diverse number of beings patronising the spa surprised Luke. There were very few students and he guessed this was due to most of them having their own private facilities. But the place was literally crawling with spacers. Local shuttle crews, traders, Imperials and thinly disguised smugglers.

Not wanting to appear conspicuous, Luke and Solo had donned some of the local garb. Lightweight, loose-fitting pants and sleeveless shirts more suited to the sticky climate, while their own clothes were relegated to their packs and their blasters to Chewie's bag. The Wookiee's bowcaster was a little more difficult to conceal, so they didn't bother, doubting that anyone would dare to question him about it, and he kept it slung over his shoulder.

As they walked out of the facility feeling wonderfully refreshed, Luke noticed with some surprise that Solo had been marked by the Kivvidan Shaman just as he and the princess had. The sleeveless nature of Solo's shirt was revealing the edge of the design. But instead of drawing on the Corellian's chest, the Shaman had put his intricate design on Solo's shoulder blade, over the scar left by the Imperials.

Luke drew attention to it and, from his response, Solo was anything but impressed. He growled irritably as Chewbacca forced him to move his shirt aside so they could get a good look at it. Solo had apparently discovered it while in the spa, had wasted half his shower time trying to scrub it off, and the fact that he didn't translate the Wookiee's amused observations for Luke suggested he was totally pissed about it. Luke glanced down at the blue lines on his own chest and wondered how the princess was getting on.

Luke spied a public computer terminal nearby and growled, waving his hand disconsolately at it, "Where are the 'droids when we need them? They'd've probably been able to locate Lowmon."

"Lowmon's probably dead, kid."

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way, they'd save us some time..."

Both lapsed into momentary silence, considering their options, then Solo frowned.

"Wait a minute..." he headed for the terminal and Luke and Chewie followed.

"What?"

"I just thought of something..." Solo reached the terminal expecting the usual minimal technology for direct human access and was pleasantly surprised to find a keypad. He smiled at Luke, "No 'droids on Galadan; they're making this easy for us."

"Han, this is for tourists; you're hardly going to get into the central computer with it."

"On the contrary," Solo muttered, happily keying in instructions. "One of the big drawbacks of a planet-wide network is that they are easily sliced into."

"Are you saying you can get in? Surely we'd need some kind of code?"

"Well, we have one small advantage."

"What?"

Chewie rumbled and Solo's confidence dimmed slightly. "So what if I haven't done it for a while?" The terminal changed tone slightly and Solo stiffened, "Ah, here we go..."

An emotionless voice issued from the terminal requesting voice identification for Professor Perron Solo.

Solo cleared his throat and said, in an uncanny imitation of his father's voice and intonation, "Professor Perron Solo."

There was a tense moment while the computer considered, then, "Voiceprint and Ident confirmed," it announced. "Access granted."

Solo shot Chewie an 'I-told-you-so' look and grinned at Luke who seemed suitably impressed.

"What'd I tell you?" he crowed.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Luke wanted to know.

"Dad was pretty high up as far as Imperial boffins go. Wasn't a planet we went to where he didn't have some sort of exec level access." Solo grinned, "Some of my most valuable information I got in Dad's name."

Luke was totally scandalised. "Did your father ever find out?"

"Nope." Solo turned back to the computer and said, once again in his father's voice, "Requesting access to student file: Treis Lowmon."

The response was immediate. "File closed. Student, Treis Lowmon missing, presumed dead."

"Elaborate," Solo ordered and a stream of information flowed across the small screen. "Says he went off on a solo field study," he told Chewie and Luke.

"What?" Luke echoed Solo's disbelief.

"Mmn," Solo agreed, "sounds somewhat suicidal. Still, you never know; I've seen uni-students do some pretty stupid things."

"Lowmon wasn't a uni-student," Luke reminded him. "Not really." He thought for a moment then said, "Maybe he found something?" Solo rolled his eyes and Luke floundered, "No, I mean..." He struggled to find the right words, trying to figure out just what he did mean. He moved in closer to the screen, hoping the text would help. "Let me look at it."

Solo stepped aside, but warned, "Just don't ask it any questions or you'll lock us out."

Luke tried not to feel exasperated with the Corellian and concentrated on the information in front of him, collating it with what they knew. The answer was there, he just couldn't grasp it.

Then he found what he was looking for and pointed to one word: 'solo'.

"What if he was looking for your father?"

Solo frowned and shook his head, "That's taking it out of context entirely."

"Think about it, Han," Luke insisted. "We know why the Empire's here, thanks to your father. If Lowmon figured out your father was the original source, he may have tried to contact him." He watched Solo's face as he followed that line of thought to its obvious conclusion. "And if they traced Lowmon to your father..."

Solo hastily quit the terminal and looked around with an urgency he always felt when he thought he was being hunted. If the Empire was seriously looking for his father, this terminal would be swarming with Imperials in minutes.

"Let's go," he said, and stalked away.

…..

The minute they stepped out of the medcentre, Perron started hurrying.

"What is it?" Leia asked, looking for the cause of his sudden urgency.

"We have to get out of here."

"Why? Do you think he recognised me?"

"Not directly. Not yet. But right now he'll be doing a DNA scan and trace and-"

"That won't tell him anything," she said stiffly.

A slight smile touched Perron's lips as he regarded her, dropping his guard for the first time since their argument and voicing his long held suspicion, "You're not an Organa, are you?"

Leia avoided the question, seemingly engrossed in the path he had them on, "Is this the way to the spa?"

Perron nodded and continued, "Nevertheless, he knows you've been through Imperial Interrogation. That alone will make it imperative for him to find out who you are."

Leia knew as well as Perron that, just on visual data, Tevorac would have that information in no time.

"I've compromised your position here, haven't I?" she stated flatly.

"Oh, probably," he muttered, "but I'm used to that wherever Han is concerned. What I am interested to know is what you did to warrant Imperial Interrogation?"

Leia gave him a haunted look and shuddered, trying not to let the memories surface. Tried to focus on the feel of sunshine on her body and the pleasant walk towards the spa.

"I was a prisoner on the Death Star," she murmured finally.

Perron was impressed. "Finally guessed you were working for the Rebellion, did they?"

Leia replied grimly, "No, they already knew that. I stole the schematic information for the Death Star."

Perron grinned and wagged a finger at her. An action so like his son's that Leia had to fight an instinctively hostile reaction.

"And wouldn't tell them where you put the plans?" he scolded.

"Why do you think they chose Alderaan?" she snapped bitterly.

Perron sobered, looking at her intently, and she met his gaze. He could see pain and guilt in her eyes, but, more than anything, determination. Determination that, for as long as she lived, for as long as she could fight, something like that would never happen again.

…

Luke, Solo and Chewbacca walked into the open-air section of the student dining facility looking particularly innocuous. Except for Chewie; he still got wide-eyed looks and a wide berth.

The facility was large and rambling, catering for all tastes and account balances. From basic main hall dining to private candle-lit elegance. They chose the open-air section because it was coolest and smelled the least.

A holographic band was playing loud music in the crowded main hall, and carried clearly out to the equally crowded garden area.

They found a suitable table and sat, and Luke stated the obvious, "They're not here yet."

Solo, who was feeling particularly worried about the turn things seemed to be taking and chagrined at their lack of success at finding anything useful about Lowmon, rolled his eyes and mumbled sourly, "You don't say?"

Luke glanced at him and pointedly shut up.

…..

At the other end of the garden area, in a slightly more opulent and therefore less crowded section, sat two men. One was of average size and build with closely cropped white-blonde hair and piercing, steel-blue eyes. He wore the comfortable clothing of a seasoned spacer, but the weaponry he openly wore left no doubt as to his real profession.

The other man was a visual nightmare. Overweight and filthy, he looked like he hadn't cared for his appearance in years, and he ate with the same disdain, much to the disgust of the wealthier patrons at nearby tables. Personally, he took great delight at the sensation he caused. Relishing in the discomfort of others, their reactions only encouraged him to new and greater heights of depravity and at present he was flaunting his not entirely human heritage by licking the inside of his nose with his very blue tongue.

They noticed the Wookiee and, subsequently the men with him, and both smiled dangerously.

The neater of the two leaned back into his seat, absently tapping his fingers on the back of his chair. "Well, well, well," he muttered to no one in particular. "This _is_ interesting." His voice was well modulated with the touch of a Chandrilese accent.

Blue-Tongue redirected his tongue to his lips and hissed wickedly, "Sssolo..."

"Whatever could have brought him to this little backwater?"

"Cargo? Who cares? We'll be rich!"

"We are already rich, my friend." Steel-blue eyes never left the Corellian and the Wookiee. "And it's not like Solo to ship poisons."

Blue-Tongue sniffed nervously. "Why isn't he armed?"

"Oh, this is too intriguing!" The neater man leaned forward. "Who are they waiting for?"

"Or what?" Blue-Tongue interposed.

The other man smiled, "My guess is who..."


	14. Chapter 14

Leia stepped out of the spa building and into the sunshine, taking a deep breath of the moist Galadan air. It felt indescribably good to be clean! Clean body, clean hair, fresh clothes. She smiled tightly at Perron as he approached.

"Do I look like a student?" she asked. She had purchased a simple, lightweight dress that fell to mid-thigh, but was wearing it with her own boots. With the ungainly pack slung over one shoulder, Leia was pretty sure the combination was inelegant enough to help her fade into the student background.

Perron smiled and said, "If I were twenty years younger…"

She watched his eyes move over her hair, which she had dyed copper as well as left loose, and ran her hand through it self-consciously.

"I thought it might be wise if I wasn't so recognisable," she said.

Perron regarded her with a half smile and asked, "How long have you known my son?"

"Four months," she answered. "He and Luke rescued me from the Death Star."

"Do you like him?"

Leia eyed him carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you like him?"

"He's a natural leader. A brilliant pilot-"

"But do you _like_ him?" he pressed.

Leia frowned. "I… He's the most irritating person I know."

"Wasted potential," Perron clarified for her.

"Yes!" That was it _exactly_. "Is that why you haven't talked? Because he left the Imperial Navy? Or does he alienate everyone eventually?"

"Han didn't leave the Navy; he was thrown out."

"Because of Chewbacca, I know." Leia regarded him carefully. "Is that why you don't speak any more?"

"Han thinks I abandoned him when he was fourteen," Perron replied quietly. "He's never forgiven me."

….

"What the hell could they be doing?" Solo growled irritably. Tired of the inaction, he got to his feet, tapping Luke on the shoulder, "C'mon, kid."

Luke looked up at him, vaguely surprised, "Where are we going?"

"Buy a drink. Mind the table, Chewie."

Solo headed off through the crowd and Luke threw the Wookiee an apologetic look before hurrying after the Corellian.

The volume was deafening in the main room, what with the band and the number of people. And the smells! Luke had never smelt anything like it, but realised it was unavoidable with such crowded diversity in such a sticky climate, and was doubly grateful for Solo's choice of the open-air area.

For Solo it brought back countless memories. He dodged a sloppy missile aimed at another table, the recipient of which leapt up and howled abuse at the perpetrator. A shouting match ensued as insults were hurled back and forth and Solo smiled. Just like the Academy.

They approached the bar. At one end a serious sculling match was in progress and Luke had to force himself not to stare. Not since the cantina in Mos Eisley had he seen so much... riff-raff.

"Watch faces," Solo muttered in his ear, then turned and ordered drinks for both of them.

Luke thought it an unusual request but complied nonetheless, casually leaning his back against the bar and perusing the crowd.

As the barman returned with their drinks, Solo nonchalantly asked, "You know a kid called Lowmon?"

The barman regarded him a moment then nodded, "I knew him, yeah."

"Know where I might find him?"

"Belly of a lazech, last I heard," he said looking amused, then moved on down the bar, dismissing them.

Solo turned slightly to Luke and asked, "Anything?"

Luke casually turned and faced the bar also, taking a swig from his drink. "A couple," he said. "Two to my left, one directly behind."

"Startled? Wary?"

Luke frowned, trying to find the right words. "Two to the left, no. Just curious. The other one more of a... flinch."

Solo did a casual scan of the crowd, surreptitiously checking out the 'flinch', then turned back to the bar, "Looks half Kivvidan," he said quietly. "Might've been his girlfriend. Probably worth investigating..." he trailed off, distracted by something a little further down the bar.

Luke followed his gaze to a very attractive woman who was eyeing them, none too coyly, from three people away. She was wearing a figure-hugging suit that left little to the imagination and he started to look away, irritated by Solo's lack of timing. Then she moved. A sensuous, cat-like movement, and Luke was as mesmerised as the Corellian.

Solo smiled invitingly and, to Luke's horror, she started towards them.

"What are you doing?!" Luke hissed through clenched teeth, but it was too late. She sidled up close to Solo and, understandably, had his undivided attention.

She was as tall as Solo with shoulder-length, fair hair and legs that seemed to go forever. And, Luke noticed, her suit was a perfect match for her mauve eyes.

"So what's your field of study?" she asked Solo, her voice dripping with seduction. "Gynaecology?"

Solo grinned, lapping her up, "Xenobiology actually. Wookiees in particular. What's yours?"

"Primitive cultures," she breathed at him, moving sensuously. "Mating rituals in particular."

"Well now," said Solo, delightedly, "We've just come from one of those."

She was momentarily impressed out of her seductive persona and said with genuine surprise, "Kivvidan?" Solo nodded. "And they didn't kill you?"

"They tried," Luke muttered under his breath and Solo grinned, self-consciously scratching his still tender stomach.

"Do I look dead?" he reasoned.

She smiled and moved closer, running a finger delicately across the scar on his chin. "Not at all."

Solo didn't flinch, thoroughly enjoying her. "Maybe we could go somewhere and compare notes?"

Luke rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Sounds irresistible," she purred and Solo's ego swelled to twice its usual size. "You don't look like a xenobiologist," she added.

"No?"

"No. You look far too exciting. More like something from the latest holo-romance."

Luke groaned audibly and wondered if he would actually retch.

The woman glanced over Solo's shoulder at him. "Something wrong with your friend?"

"He's got a drinking problem," Solo said dismissively and Luke glared at him.

"Oh," she said.

Luke turned his back on them and noticed that Leia and Perron had found Chewie in the outside section. He hit Solo on the back, realising too late that he had interrupted what was promising to be the Corellian's crucial move.

"The others' are here," he said to Solo's filthy look.

"Perfect timing!" Solo said, glaring across to the garden area.

The tall, blonde retreated a step, smiling. "See you round, xenobiologist."

"I hope so," Solo muttered, and reluctantly followed Luke back into the crowd.

….

It was part of Solo's self-preserving nature to scan a crowd for enemy faces; a task he had mastered to the point of it being completely unconscious. Until the alarm bells went off.

He saw the two men watching their table and his blood turned to ice. And by the time he got to their table his unease was obvious.

Chewie barked his concern immediately and Solo scowled, "Farrouq." Chewbacca howled in alarm and Solo nodded, "Yep." Then turned to the others to explain the need for their immediate departure and found himself gawping at the princess.

Leia smirked and sat down beside Luke. "Close your mouth, Han, you look ridiculous."

Solo glared at his father. "Was this your idea?"

"No, it was _mine_ ," Leia told him, pushing some of her bright red hair behind one ear, then added candidly, "In honour of _your_ daughter."

Luke and Chewbacca laughed and Solo frowned. "My _what_?" Then he remembered Luke's crazy dream. "Oh…"

Encouraged by Luke's appreciation of her joke, Leia leaned across the table towards the Corellian, showing more than a little cleavage, and teased, "I thought it'd be a good reminder. In case you forget yourself."

"Forget…?" Solo shook his head at her and growled, "Don't flatter yourself, Your Worship!"

Having just come from Solo's charming display by the bar, Luke decided the Corellian deserved to have his ego deflated a little and told him, "I saw you sizing her up before you realised it was Leia, Han."

"Mmm," Perron agreed. "All the blood rushed from his head."

Chewbacca hooted and Solo scowled at him then remembered what he'd wanted to tell them. "We have to leave," he said.

"But I just ordered lunch!" his father protested.

"Sorry, Dad, we've gotta to. There's a couple of unfriendlies watching this table very closely and I'm not about to face them with my blaster in Chewie's bag."

"Why? They can't shoot you here."

Solo shot his father an exasperated look. "They're not the sort of people who obey house rules - "

"Sit down and eat your lunch," Perron growled. "You all need to eat."

"Dad - "

"You think students obey house rules? The university has an automatic security system that stuns any person who draws a charged blaster. Now sit down and eat your dinner!"

Leia smiled grimly from her seat beside Perron and Luke sat beside her. Solo sat a little more reluctantly but neither he nor Chewie relaxed.

Luke was still stinging from Solo's earlier comment about drink and goaded, "Who are they? Old friends?" He was rewarded with a dark look from Solo and Chewie growled heatedly.

"Jaden Farrouq and Seragel Incontinence have, shall we say, a lethal reputation."

Leia frowned. "Incon-" She blanched. "Inconterza?" Solo nodded. "The same one who...?"

"Gizela. Yeah." He wagged a finger at her. "Case in point."

Luke frowned, totally lost at the reference to the princess' medic friend.

"I'm surprised she told you about it," Solo added.

"It was a little hard to conceal," Leia snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Luke interrupted and their meals arrived, brought by a student obviously waiting tables to help pay his way through university. Chewbacca greeted the arrival of their food with a bellow, which nearly caused the student carrying them to drop them. Solo berated the Wookiee and reassured the student, who hurried away without waiting to be tipped.

Perron snorted. "One way to get out of tipping, I suppose." Chewbacca and his son regarded him so innocently that he couldn't help smiling. He shoved the largest platter at the Wookiee and said, "Here."

Chewbacca growled a remark to Solo and they both glanced in the direction Solo had seen Farrouq. Solo shook his head and the Wookiee commenced eating.

Luke suddenly thought to ask Leia, "How's your hand?"

She held it up, showing the new pink skin. "Fine."

Overhead, the weathershields hummed to life, raising the temperature markedly and a moment later the afternoon rains started.

"Incontinence has a bad reputation with women," Solo continued, taking a mouthful of his meal. "He likes to mutilate them." Luke paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "Giz found herself at his tender mercies a few years back."

Luke had known about Han and the medic's prior friendship, but had assumed it had been some sort of relationship. This suggested something far grimmer.

"Is that how you met?" he asked.

"I first saw her in Jabba's palace on Tatooine," Solo said through a mouthful of food. "Incontinence had beat her to within a millimetre of her life." He swallowed and added matter-of-factly, "No one deserves that son-of-a-sith. I gambled for ownership of her and won."

Luke almost dropped his fork. "Gizzy was a _slave_?" He looked to the princess for confirmation and got a grim nod. "How...?" he started lamely, not even knowing what questions to ask.

"Why the hell are they _here_?" Solo muttered, glancing nervously over his shoulder, expecting a vibroblade in his back at any moment.

"Probably the same reason as every other smuggler on the planet," Perron said between mouthfuls. "A shipload of drugs."

Solo shook his head, "Incontinence, maybe, but Farrouq works for higher stakes. Tell me, Dad, does the Empire know who discovered this thing with the lazechs?"

Perron shook his head, "I have an understanding with the university. They get credited with anything I-"

"But given the right persuasion they'd be bound to tell. Did they know exactly where you were?"

Perron shook his head again, perturbed, "No, I move with the Kivvies - "

"And no one who isn't welcome can find them."

"That's right."

"Did you know a kid named Treis Lowmon?"

Perron frowned, somewhat surprised. "Is he why you're here?" He looked at the princess and she nodded. "He contacted me three weeks ago about a field study. I told him to piss off."

"He's dead, Dad."

"Did you find him?" Leia asked quickly.

"No, but it's a good bet the Empire did," Solo replied. "He's listed as missing on a _solo_ field trip, and I don't think they meant he was by himself. It's a good bet he never even left the campus."

"The last report we got from him suggested a breakthrough in his investigations," Leia said. "If he had traced the origin of this compound to you," she looked at Perron, "and was discovered..." Alarm filled her eyes. "You said the medic, Tevorac, was Imperial?" Perron nodded, looking perturbed. "And he knows you're back." Leia pushed her plate away. "Han's right; we have to get out of here."

"You're not going to believe this," Luke growled, "but look what just walked in."

They all looked at the entrance in time to see the last of a small squad of stormtroopers enter the main hall.

Solo looked at his father. "Did you pay for this?" he said, indicating the food and Perron nodded. "They're definitely on to you, Dad."

Suitably peeved, they were in the process of standing when Chewbacca barked a warning and Solo glanced over his shoulder and swore.

"Two men on their way over," Perron confirmed then asked, "Are you always this popular?"

Solo was going to point out to his father that the stormtroopers had actually come for _Professor_ Solo when Chewie alerted him to the look that Inconterza was giving the princess as he approached. Memories of Gizela's suffering rushed to the fore and Solo felt his blood run cold. There was no way he was going to let Leia suffer something like that. Without thinking he moved to her side, ostensibly to help her out of her seat, and Leia frowned at him.

Luke it seemed had recognised the danger she was in also, because he moved closer to Solo and murmured under his breath, "Tell them she's your wife."

" _What_?" Solo hissed.

Leia looked equally startled.

"That way one of us can be with her at all times," Luke reasoned hastily.

"Tell them she's _your_ wife!" Solo protested, but Luke shook his head.

"They'll just kill me and take her anyway," he said in a voice that brooked no argument. "You're here visiting your father."

Solo wanted to protest further, but Farrouq and Inconterza had reached their table.

The white-haired man smiled and said, "Hello Solo."

Solo didn't try to hide his displeasure. "Farrouq." He looked at the larger man who was busily leering at the princess. " _Incontinence_."

Inconterza's eyes flashed up from the princess and he glared at Solo.

"Now, Solo," Farrouq soothed. "Don't be like that." He smiled at the others. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Why?" Solo asked. "These people don't need to know you and you don't need to know them-"

"Why are you here?" Farrouq snapped.

Solo acted put upon. "I might ask you the same question!"

Chewbacca growled deep in his throat and both newcomers eyed him carefully.

"You know there's a fine price on your head," Farrouq observed, and Luke and Leia shot Solo worried looks.

Solo sneered. "Is that why you're here?"

"No," Farrouq admitted, "but it would certainly add to my profit margin." He glanced pointedly at the princess.

Solo's look darkened and he growled threateningly, "Get out of here, Jaden!"

"And who does this delightful creature belong to?" Inconterza asked, moving closer to the princess.

Luke's hand dropped to his lightsabre and Leia went white with fury. Solo put a hand on her arm as she turned to have a go at Inconterza, drawing her close to his side before she could do something they'd all regret.

Seeking to defuse what was fast becoming a volatile situation, Perron smiled amiably at Farrouq and said, "Perron Solo, Professor of Genetics. My son and his wife are here visiting me."

" _Wife_?" Farrouq regarded Solo with amused disbelief.

"And we were just leaving," Solo said, taking Leia's hand and grinning hellishly at Farrouq. "Maybe next time?"

Solo threw Chewbacca a pointed look then led Leia into the main room without looking back. He knew what Inconterza was capable of and was leaving nothing to chance as far as the princess was concerned.

"Where are we going?" she shouted over the noise in the main dining hall.

"It's you and me they want," he said as low as possible. "Hopefully they won't follow the others!"

Glancing back at Farrouq and Inconterza, Leia saw he was quite right. They had left the others and were following Solo and herself into the main hall. Chewbacca was leading Luke and Perron out of the complex from the garden area.

"Me?" she yelled, "Why me?"

"Because you're with me!" he yelled back and veered suddenly, almost yanking her arm out of its socket. The arrival of the stormtroopers had stirred up student antipathy for authority in general and resentment for Imperials in particular and, as a result, the atmosphere was highly rebellious and antagonistic.

In their struggle through the crowd, Solo and Leia were challenged by almost every table for having the affront to walk past, and it was taking every ounce of control on Solo's part to stop himself from decking someone.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw what he had been hoping most to avoid.

Inconterza.

He was only three tables away and grinning at them. Solo swore, but it went unheard in the surrounding cacophony.

Leia was alerted when Solo's hand tightened around hers to an almost painful level and she guessed what had alarmed him before she had even picked Inconterza out of the crowd. She knew enough about the disgusting man to be very wary of him, but seeing him now... the way he was leering at her... It shocked Leia to realise that Solo's fear for her had been profoundly correct. Inconterza was not even interested in Solo. He wanted _her_.

Solo gauged the time it would take Inconterza to reach them against the time it would take them to reach the door and came up wanting. Risking the princess between them, he waited until the last possible moment then stopped dead. Leia looked at him, horrified and he yelled at her over the noise, "Duck!"

She did, without hesitation, and Solo slammed his fist into Inconterza's face. Inconterza dropped like a stone.

Ignoring the stabbing pain in his hand, Solo grabbed Leia's hand once more and tried to hurry through the crowd.

Across the room, Farrouq was pointing them out to a stormtrooper, who, a moment later, had his entire troop converging on them.

Solo saw the net closing and immediately let go of the princess, filled his hands with food from the nearest table and started throwing it. The owners of the stolen food protested angrily, leaping out of their seats and the princess looked mortified.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she shrieked.

The tables at the receiving end of Solo's fire hopped to the defensive immediately, hurling food at what they assumed to be the offending table.

Solo grabbed Leia's hand again and yelled at the top of his voice, " _Food Fight_!"

Instantly the air was full of flying food.

It spread through the entire dining room like wildfire, without respect or deference for race, creed or account balance. Stormtroopers, in particular, quickly vanished under a deluge of slop. Leia had never seen anything like it in her life and gawped at the melee, dumbfounded. Solo had to jerk her into action and they continued their struggle through the exuberant crowd, heads down, diverting from time to time to add to the ammunition in the air.

Despite her disapproval of the waste, mess and total lack of respect, Leia was finding the whole thing very funny. A woman at a nearby table was bleating pathetically, trying to protect an intricate hairdo, and at the table next to her a man was eating on regardless, completely ignoring the mayhem around him.

A young man beside her was hit with something that sprayed everyone within a metre of him with green goo. Leia jerked sideways to avoid it, but it splashed across her hip nonetheless.

Solo felt her jump sideways and glanced back, tightening his grip on her hand, but she was fine. He looked towards the entrance again and copped a fruity dessert full in the face.

Pausing to wipe the worst from his face, he staggered as Leia ran into the back of him, pushing him into a Sullustan who was trying to take refuge under a table. Unbalanced, Solo fell against the table, which flipped onto its side and catapulted more food and beverages into their immediate air space.

Leia couldn't help herself. She laughed. She struggled to control it as Solo got to his feet, shaking an unappetising mixture of savoury and sweet slop from his hands. But then he looked at her, and the limp piece of salad hanging from his nose obliterated her control.

She held her side and laughed.

Solo wiped his face with his shirt and she continued laughing. He shook his head at her and Leia tried to stop laughing as he took her hand again, but it bubbled up from the depths of her soul like a volcano that had been dormant too long. Solo chuckled, able to see the funny side, and her laugh was infectious. He dragged her on towards the entrance and still she laughed.

Leia was seeing the room through different eyes all of a sudden; not as Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. And it was truly the funniest thing she could ever remember seeing.

Solo took the opportunity to scoop up a handful of mashed vegetable from an abandoned plate as they passed it, and flung it at her. He laughed as it caught her unsuspecting, slap bang in the middle of her chest. Leia shrieked indignantly and threw it straight back at him. Solo ducked and it hit a woman who was running past behind him.

Solo laughed uproariously and Leia gasped, appalled with herself. Then she was laughing helplessly as he dragged her towards the entrance again.

The troopers at the doorway didn't give them a second glance as they ran through without pausing, down the steps to the street and around the corner. The heavy rain drenched them in seconds, washing off most of the muck.

Solo pulled her into a dark alcove and waited, peering into the street.

"That was great!" Leia laughed breathlessly. "Can we do it again?"

"Shh!" he said, stifling a smile.

"Do you do that sort of thing often?" Leia whispered, sobering. "It's just your style."

Solo indicated quiet and removed a small hold-out blaster from his boot, wincing before he could catch himself. Leia caught the wince and tried to feel the bones in his hand, but Solo jerked his hand out of reach and hissed, "Do you _mind_?"

"Shh!" she chided.

The sound of running footsteps, dull through the downpour, had them both anxiously watching the street and Solo pulled them deeper into shadow. The small space had them pressed up against one another and Leia, reliving images from the food fight, snickered. Solo shot her a fierce look and she put a hand over her mouth to hide her smirk.

The sounds got closer and finally Seragel Inconterza lumbered past. The sounds retreated and Leia made to leave. Solo stopped her with a firm hand on her arm and she looked questioningly at him.

"He'll be back," he mouthed, and Leia moved around behind him, trying to ignore their proximity.

Pressed up against his back and unable to see much without compromising their safety, Leia found herself staring at Solo's shoulders, watching the play of muscles through his soaked shirt and noticing how warm his skin felt. She wondered how much of her body was visible through her dress and wished she'd thought to grab her pack before they'd fled.

Solo moved his arm fractionally and Leia realised that the faintly blue lines she'd been staring at, absently assuming they were part of his shirt, were actually Kivvidan markings on his shoulder blade. She frowned, realising that, despite his claims to the contrary, like herself and Luke; Solo had been marked by the Shaman. She pushed his shirt aside to get a better look at it, and wondered what the strange Kivvidan thought Solo was or if Solo even knew it was there.

She was opening her mouth to tell him about it when he threw her an irritated glance over his shoulder and jerked his shoulder away from her hand before turning back to watch the street.

Stubbornly, Leia pushed his shirt aside again and proceeded to trace the pattern with her finger.

Solo was struggling to concentrate on their dilemma and not on the feel of the princess pressed up against him. And now, with her finger igniting the nerves in his shoulder, he found himself fighting an instinctive urge to turn around, pull her into a tight embrace and kiss her. He tried to dismiss it as a leftover effect from the nintwine and deliberately adjusted his hold on the small blaster in his hand. His hand ached abominably, and thinking about it only made it feel worse, but it was safer than thinking about kissing the princess.

Her finger hit an extra sensitive spot in its travels across his shoulder, causing him to flinch reflexively and ruin his aim for a fraction of a second.

"Will you _stop_ doing that?!" he hissed irritably over his shoulder at her, once again adjusting his grip on the small blaster, but couldn't meet her eyes for fear that his own might betray his bizarre desire to kiss her. He looked back at the street and muttered, "You're a big distraction."

Leia frowned and decided that she didn't want to think about what Solo might mean by that. Refused to let herself, concentrating instead on listening for the approach of Inconterza. The footfalls were much quieter this time and Solo shrank further into the shadows, the small blaster he was holding aimed unswervingly at the street.

Solo, watching Inconterza's every move, caught sight of his face and realised he'd broken the man's nose. No wonder his hand hurt! He aimed the blaster but did not fire and Inconterza slowly moved out of sight.

Leia, peering past his shoulder, hissed in his ear, "Why didn't you shoot him?"

"Because I don't know where Farrouq is!" he hissed back.

Leia backed off. That made very good sense. A blaster bolt from Solo, while wiping out Inconterza, would pinpoint their position to an observer. And with only one way in or out of the tiny alcove, that was not exactly desirable. But Leia suspected that Farrouq was still looking for them in the dining room.

…

In fact Farrouq was already at the Spaceport looking for the _Millennium Falcon_. The fact that it wasn't listed by name did not deter him in the least; Solo was renowned for falsifying his own registration. But it left him with the time consuming task of visually checking each of the Corellian-type freighters in dock, of which there were over fifty.

But he would know it when he saw it, without a doubt, and launched himself into the task undaunted; full of anticipation at the thought of presenting Solo and the Wookiee to Jabba the Hutt.

The _Millennium Falcon_ , he decided, he would keep for himself. And maybe give the female to Seragel.


	15. Chapter 15

As they made their way out of the university campus towards the landing platform, Luke felt certain they were being followed and let himself drop behind slowly, hoping it would prove to be Han and Leia. Ahead, Chewbacca and Perron rounded a corner and Luke slowed even more, giving them time to get well ahead. When he rounded the corner himself, they were out of sight and he stopped, pressing himself against the wall of the ancient stone building.

He didn't have to wait long. A moment later a small figure turned the corner and almost ran into him. For half a second he thought it was the princess, then quickly realised that this girl was much smaller than Leia, almost child-sized, and her skin had a Kivvidan hue. A halfbreed?

She was breathing hard and looked terrified. Doubly so when she saw him. The rain had plastered her dark hair to her head and ran unchecked across her face.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked and she looked nervously over her shoulder. "Why were you following me?"

"I saw you in the dining hall," she said and Luke frowned. How in the world was he supposed to remember her from that sea of faces?

"You're a friend of Lowmon's, aren't you?" she said.

Abruptly he recognised her; the girl who had flinched at the mention of Lowmon's name.

"Yes," he replied simply, absently scratching at a small bite on his arm; one of many which had been irritating him on and off all day. "Do you know where he is?"

Uncertainty washed over the small woman afresh and she looked over her shoulder again.

Luke touched her arm and asked, "What are you so afraid of? Is someone trying to hurt you?"

She gave him a hunted look then frowned. She had noticed the blue markings on his chest, just visible over the top edge of his undershirt. Quick as a flash, her hand shot up and pulled the shirt down to reveal the small design the Shaman had marked him with. Luke allowed her inspection and watched her as she stared at it for a long moment then ran her fingers over it. Finally she stepped back, completely awed, all nervousness momentarily forgotten.

"You have been marked by the Shaman..." she said wistfully. "You have been with my people..." She regarded Luke intently. "Who _are_ you?"

"A friend of Lowmon's," Luke replied, then added, "I hadn't heard from him for a while and was worried about him."

Grief washed over the young woman's face then abruptly she made up her mind. She pulled a small information disk from a pocket in the jacket she was wearing and pushed it at him.

Luke frowned at it. "What's this?"

"He made me keep duplicates," she muttered hurriedly. "In case... something happened to him..." Her nervousness was back and she glanced over her shoulder again. "I have to go."

Without another word, she turned and ran, vanishing into the rain like she'd never existed, leaving Luke perplexed and concerned. He pocketed the disk and started in the direction the others had gone, dimly hoping he hadn't lost Chewbacca and Solo's father, and wondering deeply about the contents of the disc.

He almost ran into Chewie at the next bend. The Wookiee had obviously come looking for him and was mightily cross at having to do so. He barked angrily at Luke and gave him a none too gentle clip around the ears with a hairy paw. Hurrying to keep up, Luke followed him to the edge of the landing platform in time to see Perron Solo surrounded by several stormtroopers.

Without thinking, Luke surged forward, lightsabre hilt in hand, but was hauled back into the shadows by the Wookiee.

" _What_?" he demanded hotly and was clipped over the head by the Wookiee once more. "We can't just leave him!" he hissed, struggling against the hold the Wookiee still had on his shirt.

A blue flash caught his eye and he watched with dismay as Solo's father crumpled under the stun blast.

The Wookiee was rumbling behind him, but Luke couldn't understand a word. He watched impotently as Perron was loaded onto a nearby shuttle and, a moment later, the shuttle rose skyward. No doubt heading for the Star Destroyer in orbit.

Luke watched it vanish into the rain-clouds and decided that, despite Han's claims of not caring about his father, the erstwhile smuggler was going to have a fit.

Chewbacca growled at him, making a 'stay put' motion with his hand, and hurried across the platform, crouching low. Luke retrieved the packs Chewie had left nearby and watched the Wookiee check out three 'hoppers before he found one he was happy with. He waved briefly in Luke's direction and immediately set to hot-wiring the lock. By the time Luke joined him, he had the hatch open and was inside, warming up the engine. Unable to fit into either piloting seat, the Wookiee was reaching across them from the rear seat to the main board.

Luke threw the packs behind the passenger seat, wiped the rain out of his eyes, and slid into the pilot's seat, wondering if they could somehow escape the scrutiny of the Tower. He squinted through the rain-blinded canopy hoping to see a sign of Solo and the princess, not prepared to activate the canopy's water repulsors to clear his view. The last thing he wanted to do was alert the Air Traffic Control Tower that they were planning to lift off.

Chewbacca growled something and opened the hatch and got out. Looking for his friend, no doubt.

….

Solo waited a good fifteen minutes before leading Leia from the safety of the small alcove they'd been hiding in, hoping desperately that Inconterza wasn't lying in wait for them just around the corner.

They hurried across the campus towards the university landing platform, both completely sodden and largely invisible in the semi-dark created by the afternoon downpour.

The unwelcome appearance of Farrouq and Inconterza had left Solo seriously concerned about all their safety, not just Leia's. Farrouq was unscrupulous and deadly in his pursuit, but he had his own code of honour that he followed to the letter. Inconterza, on the other hand, had no honour. Just perverse desires that he fed at every opportunity.

Leia's brief good humour was giving way to irritation. Irritation that Solo's past was thwarting their attempts to figure out exactly what the Empire was up to on Galadan. Unless Solo's father would agree to help them with their efforts? That could be an unforeseen bonus. _If_ Perron would agree to come back to the Rebellion with them. The Imperials on Galadan were already looking for the professor and, by now, probably the Princess of Alderaan as well. And with Solo's pirate 'buddies' hunting _him_ , their only option was to flee.

Leia pushed her hair out of her eyes, blinking to try and see through the rain. Solo was holding the hand she had damaged and she wanted to tell him to ease up on his grip as it was starting to hurt.

Suddenly a man stepped out in front of them and Leia found herself jerked behind Solo, his grip on her hand abruptly strong and fierce while his blaster stopped barely a hand-span from the man's face. Like Solo, she had assumed the man would be Farrouq or Inconterza, and was surprised when it wasn't.

He was a tall man, taller than Solo by several centimetres. Bearded, with dark hair and blue eyes, though it was hard to be sure in the rain.

"Leia?" he asked hastily, and there was no denying his Alderaanian accent. "Leia Organa of Alderaan?"

Leia gaped at him. What was an Alderaanian doing on Galadan? And how the hell had he recognised her?

"It is, isn't it?" He sounded eager. Excited.

"Who wants to know?" Solo snapped, his blaster not wavering.

"Commander David Taylor," the man said, backing into the shadow created by an overhanging second storey on the building beside them. "I saw you in the dining hall and couldn't believe my eyes."

Leia gasped, "Taylor?" and started to follow him, but Solo jerked her back.

"We thought you were dead!" the bearded man said. "We were told you'd been killed over Tatooine."

Ignoring the pain it caused, Leia wrenched her hand free of Solo's and moved closer to the Alderaanian. Solo followed her into the shadow, blaster ready and one hand on her back.

"We?" she asked urgently.

"As soon as he heard about your death, your father organised several ships-"

Leia gripped his arm. "How many?" she begged. "How many escaped?"

Taylor reached out and tenderly touched her face, then said, "Five thousand."

Leia put a hand to her mouth, distressed. Five thousand out of four billion people.

"We've been flying with Bel Iblis," he added, and Solo frowned. Garm Bel Iblis was the Corellian senator who'd defected to start the Rebel Alliance with Mon Mothma of Chandrila and Bail Organa of Alderaan. Solo had met the man once in Coronet City, just after the student riots there, and had always held his fellow Corellian in high regard, keeping track of the man's progress when he could. The reports he'd heard when he'd been in the Imperial Navy had spoken of a schism between Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma and, as he'd heard nothing of him since, Solo had presumed the man dead.

Although he was pleased to hear that Bel Iblis was still alive, it still didn't lessen their immediate danger. Recognising that Leia was in shock from meeting someone important from her past and that she had probably forgotten about Farrouq and Inconterza, Solo grabbed her round the waist as she started to ask hopefully, "Bel-?"

"We have to go, Your Worship," he snapped, hoisting her under his arm.

"Put me down!" she hissed angrily.

"Been nice meetin' you," he told Taylor sarcastically, dimly noting the other man's outraged glare, and he started running for the landing platform, Leia fighting him furiously.

Solo's worst fears were confirmed when blaster-fire lit up around them. He returned the fire, dimly aware that Leia was no longer struggling, and made out the dark shape of Inconterza through the rain.

Then blaster-fire splashed at Inconterza from Taylor's position, forcing Inconterza to run for cover, and Solo wordlessly thanked the man. He took the princess' hand once more and ran full pelt for the landing platform, hoping Chewie and the others were there and had found a suitable 'hopper.

….

Luke was seriously beginning to worry that something had happened to Han and Leia and considering having to go look for them when he saw two shapes running across the platform. He heard the Wookiee howl at them and watched them change direction, hurrying towards him. Luke's relief at seeing them safe was swiftly being replaced with anger at why they had taken so long. Anger at Solo specifically for the way he had dragged the princess in the opposite and more dangerous direction in the first place. And anger at Solo for not being with them to stop the stormtroopers from taking his father.

The Wookiee was barking and hooting rapidly as he opened the hatch and climbed aboard, helping the princess into the ship and then his partner.

"Where's Dad?!" Solo demanded angrily as he realised the man was absent from the 'hopper, and Luke could hear the defensive note in the Wookiee's reply.

"Where the hell have _you_ been?!" Luke demanded irritably, as Solo slid into the co-pilot's seat and Leia took the seat behind him, pushing her wet hair off her face. The equally wet Wookiee shut the hatch and squeezed in beside the princess.

Solo didn't even look at Luke as he activated the canopy's water repulsors and replied sourly, "In the backstreets necking. What do you think?"

"Did Farrouq follow you?" Leia asked, fastening her harness.

Luke shook his head as he lifted the 'hopper skywards. "The stormtroopers were here waiting," he said. "They took Perron." He expected a heated response from Solo and was confused when he didn't get one. He risked a glance at the Corellian and the tension in the older man's jaw told him the rage was there, but being held carefully in check.

The comm lit up and the Tower demanded that they return to the landing platform. Solo switched it off.

"The girl we saw at the bar followed us," Luke said while he concentrated on lifting the ship away from the Tower, hoping the rain clouds would provide enough immediate cover for them to put some distance between themselves and the city.

"Girl at the bar?" Leia queried sharply.

"Lowmon's girl," Luke said. "We saw her in the dining hall before you got there."

"She _followed_ you?" Solo said, and Luke could hear the wariness in the older man's voice.

"Why?" Leia demanded.

"Gave me this," Luke said, producing the disk.

Solo watched as Luke passed the disc to Leia and asked quickly, "What's on it?"

"Lowmon's notes," Luke answered, trying to see something in the grey turbulence around them. "Apparently he made her keep duplicates."

"Why'd she trust you?" Solo wanted to know. "Why'd she give it to you?"

Luke indicated the blue lines on his chest through the open neck of his shirt and said, "This." Then glanced at Solo and added, "You were right. She was Kivvidan." He frowned at the clouds outside the canopy and asked, "What's the best vector to take to the _Falcon_?"

Solo frowned at the control panel in front of him then punched in the appropriate coordinates. The Corellian's instinctive ability for navigation never failed to impress Luke, and he couldn't help smiling at the older man. Solo had claimed that Corellians couldn't get lost and, despite Luke's assumption that it was simply more of the Corellian's outrageous bragging, he had to admit that Solo had an unerring sense of direction.

With the coordinates set, Luke aimed the 'hopper at the _Falcon_ and hoped they would reach the freighter before the Star Destroyer thought to take an interest in them.

"So," Solo said, and turned to look at the princess. "Who's Taylor?"

Luke frowned at both of them and wondered, _Taylor?_ "Someone I thought had died with Alderaan," she said sadly.

"You ran into someone from _Alderaan_?" Luke asked, incredulously. "What was he doing _here_?" What were the odds that both Solo and the princess would run into old friends on Galadan?

"Probably the same thing we were," Leia replied.

"He _recognised_ you?"

Leia nodded. "In the student dining hall."

Luke shook his head and muttered sarcastically, "Surprised _I_ didn't run into Biggs' Mom there."

But Solo, it seemed, was not concerned with the unlikelihood of running into old friends as they had. Rather, he seemed more concerned with the _sort_ of friend this Taylor had been to the princess.

"So?" Solo persevered. "Who was he?"

"He was the son of my father's chief adviser," Leia replied softly, and Luke got the impression she was struggling not to cry.

"Boyfriend?" Solo asked callously and Luke shot him a fierce look.

Leia glared at the Corellian for a long moment before replying icily, "No, Han, he _wasn't_ my boyfriend. We were good friends though. Spent a lot of our childhood together."

Solo turned to Luke, winked and said sagely, "Old flame."

Luke chose to ignore the Corellian's jibe, but Leia hugged herself and snapped irritably, "Shut up, Han!"

"Why was he here?" Luke wanted to know. "Is he with another Alliance cell? Why would they send another group when they'd already sent us?"

Solo looked at the princess. "You gonna tell him, Sweetheart, or do you want me to?"

Leia stared resolutely out the transparisteel canopy beside her, refusing to acknowledge either of them.

"Seems there are _two_ rebellions, Kid," Solo told him amiably.

Luke frowned. " _Two_?"

"Couple of the founders had a falling out in the early days. The one you're with went on with Mon Mothma as its head, while the other one struggled on secretly with Garm Bel Iblis as leader."

Luke shook his head, unable to comprehend. "But that doesn't make any sense," he said. "Surely they'd be more efficient working together?"

"Ah, the wisdom and innocence of youth!" Solo intoned.

"Did you know about this?" Luke demanded of Leia.

"I had no idea Garm was still fighting," she answered softly.

" _Bullshit_!" Solo snapped, which made her look at him, and Luke couldn't help wondering what Solo was made of that he didn't quail under her fiery gaze.

"Would _you_ stop fighting?" the Corellian continued. "If you were thrown out of the Rebellion tomorrow, would that change your ideals? Make your hatred of the Empire any less?"

Leia's gaze dropped to her hands, and when she met his eyes again the fire of outrage had gone out. She shook her head.

"He's _Corellian_ ," Solo growled. "Of course he's still fighting!" Whether it had suddenly hit too close to home or not, Luke wasn't sure, but Solo changed vector abruptly and grinned. "And you _know_ Corellians can't be reasoned with!"

Leia was staring at her hands where they rested in her lap again and Luke frowned at Solo, looking for an explanation. But Solo's attention was focussed on the princess.

Finally she looked up and met his gaze and there was no denying the tears in her eyes as she said, "I know."

She couldn't hold his gaze, breaking it to look out the transparisteel beside her.

Luke waited for some explanation from Solo but it swiftly became self-evident that there wasn't going to be any. Solo had turned back to the control panel and was studying the terrain below on the electronic screen between them.

"There's the _Falcon_ ," he said.

Despite Solo's appearance to the contrary, Luke felt certain he was furious about the capture of his father, and wondered whether he had baited the princess out of jealousy over Taylor or anger because he suspected she would stop him from trying to rescue Perron.

"Do you have any idea where they'll take your father?" Luke asked as he settled the 'hopper on the other side of the quetta bushes from the _Falcon_.

"Coruscant," Solo said matter-of-factly. "Straight to Shenegar's."

Luke glanced at the princess as she retrieved her pack from behind her seat, aware that she would not like his next suggestion, then looked at Solo and said, "Maybe we should go after him?"

Chewbacca barked his surprise and Leia looked at Luke and said sharply, "To _Coruscant_?"

"We're going to have to go anyway," Luke argued. "Or _someone_ is. We can't leave Perron in Imperial custody; not with what he knows"

Leia was shaking her head and he could see there was genuine fear in her eyes. Luke didn't have to think too hard to figure out what she might be so afraid of. _Capture_. A very real possibility should they choose to journey into the heart of the Empire. Imperial incarceration, questioning, _torture_. She'd already been there.

"We have to get this information back to the Rebellion," she reasoned stiffly.

"Lowmon's notes?" Luke said. " _Big deal_."

Solo's father was going to be forced into working for the Empire or he would be executed. They all knew that. And if they _could_ rescue him, how much more could he do for the Rebellion?

"Sure, they'll be a help, but Han's dad could have answered all our questions," he rationalised, then looked at Solo and watched the battle between responsibility and self-preservation play out across the man's features. Irritated that Solo could consider otherwise, Luke insisted, "We can't just _leave_ him."

"Yes we can," Solo snapped defensively, and climbed out of his seat, forcing the princess and Chewbacca out of the 'hopper. " _He_ would."

Knowing Solo was speaking out of long time resentment for whatever had happened between Han and his father, Luke started to argue, but the Corellian had left the 'hopper. He hurried out after Solo in time to hear the Corellian angrily ordering Threepio to lower the _Falcon's_ ramp over his comlink. Taking shelter behind the 'hopper with them, Luke waited as Chewie fired his bowcaster and set off the quetta bushes. A moment later, Solo gave the okay, then led their mad dash through the quetta.

They all ignored the droids in the surge to the cockpit, and Solo quipped to Chewie as he lifted the ship skywards, "Let's hope all that noise when we landed was the forest and not us."


	16. Chapter 16

The _Millennium_ _Falcon_ hugged the atmosphere of Galadan until they were on the other side of the planet from the Star Destroyer before Solo threw his ship at the stars, and even then he watched the sensors for anything following them.

Luke was hurriedly programming the navicomputer with a series of hyperspace jumps that would hopefully stop anyone from following them, when he noticed Solo bristle.

"What is it?" he asked, looking vainly for something outside the viewport.

"Farrouq," Solo growled.

"How'd _he_ find us?" Luke wanted to know.

"How're those coordinates coming?" Solo snapped, reminding Luke that he needed the ship programmed before they could escape to hyperspace.

"Finished," Luke replied, punching in the last few numbers then settling into his seat.

Chewbacca growled and Solo nodded, agreeing with him, then translated for the benefit of the others, "Looks like he was hiding behind the second moon."

"Waiting for you?" Leia asked sharply.

"The joys of being popular," Solo muttered, grinning humourlessly.

The ship's sensors _pinged_ excitedly, alerting them to the Star Destroyer that had decided they were worth investigating and was moving to intercept. Solo growled irritably, but took them safely to hyperspace before Farrouq or the Star Destroyer could close the distance between them.

"How long before we reach the fleet?" Leia asked and Solo gave her a surly look.

"Who says we're going to the fleet?" he said, climbing out of his seat. "Who says I didn't tell Luke to set a course for Coruscant?"

Leia looked sharply at Luke, who chose to avoid meeting her gaze, then said emphatically and not without some alarm, "We have to get this information back to the Alliance!"

"And I've gotta go rescue my Dad," Solo said, equally emphatically. "What say I just drop you two at the nearest port and you can find your own way back?"

"And run the risk of Inconterza and Farrouq getting their hands on Leia?" Luke suggested darkly, then added as Solo turned his baleful gaze on him, "What if they followed us?"

"You set the jumps!" Solo snapped. "You better have done a good enough job to keep them off our tail!"

He stalked out of the cockpit and Luke glanced at Leia, who was looking guilty but unrepentant, then followed the Corellian. As he reached the ring corridor, Solo growled without looking at him, "Leave me alone, kid."

"I want to come with you to Coruscant, Han," Luke said.

Solo slowed, then turned and faced him. "You've got a rebellion to fight for, kid."

"But I can-"

"Besides," Solo added, cutting him off, "I can't take Leia into Coruscant. It's too dangerous."

They were both aware of the princess as she stepped into the cockpit access and approached them, but neither of them looked at her.

"Plus, I ain't coming back," Solo added. "I've already spent too long with this outfit." He turned and headed through the main hold towards the bunkroom.

…..

Solo let the princess shower first. More to give himself a break from her than an attempt to be chivalrous. Plus he needed to do something about his hand. He suspected he'd broken one of the bones when he'd hit Inconterza and didn't want Luke or the princess fussing over him while he did something about fixing it.

The medbunk on the Falcon was old but adequate; it had a bone knitter. The biggest problem was the fact that he lacked the funds to keep it properly equipped most of the time. Fortunately, thanks to the agreement he'd made with Rieekan and Dodonna, the medbunk was currently fully stocked.

A scan of his hand confirmed he had broken a bone and the bunk proceeded to reel off the correct course of action. Wanting the procedure finished before anyone could start fussing over him, Solo skipped the pain-killers, knelt beside the appropriate section of the bunk, and moved straight to the bone knitting program.

He regretted his haste as soon as it started; the pain of the clamps holding his hand in place and straightening the affected bone forcing him to bite down on a course of swearing that would have brought Chewie and the others to investigate.

Solo took a deep breath, knowing the needles would follow, and noticed his pack nearby, just within reach. Remembering the bladder of nintwine he had secreted in it, he grabbed the pack and emptied it hastily, searching through the small pile of clothes one-handed.

He found what he wanted just as the needles started piercing his skin as well as the bone in his hand, pulled the seal off the bladder with his teeth and took a long swallow of the sweet liquid. The pain in his hand was white hot. He took another swig. And another.

And breathed a sigh of relief as a warm wave flooded his body.

Able to think clearly again, Solo resealed the bladder and congratulated himself for appropriating the nintwine, and wondered if it would get more potent with age. While the small arms of the medbunk continued to work on his hand, he found a suitable drawer under the bunk and secured the bladder inside it.

The medbunk finished its work and Solo made a fist, testing his hand. Pain speared up his arm and was swiftly replaced with a warm wave of pleasure that had him wondering how the princess' was feeling and whether she would care to join him in a little pain-relief.

The fantasy disturbed him and he got to his feet, forcing himself to think about his father. Solo had no idea how he was going to get his father out of Imperial custody, but he had rescued Leia from the biggest battle station ever constructed, so he guessed he would manage it somehow.

It was as he was picking up the clothes he had strewn about in his haste to find the nintwine that Solo found the small information cartridge. It fell out of one of the pockets in his vest and onto the deck. He picked it up, frowning as he recognised his father's handwriting on one side of it. His frown deepened as he came to the conclusion that he was looking at his father's notes about his discoveries on Galadan. Notes Perron Solo had obviously secreted into his son's vest because he thought they should go to the Rebellion.

Scowling, Solo dropped it onto the bunk and stalked into the 'fresher. A moment later he returned, picked up the cartridge and stalked around to the small starboard hold that was Chewie's cabin. The Wookiee had been planning to rest, and Solo hoped he wasn't already asleep. He certainly wouldn't appreciate being woken up.

He opened the hatch to find the Wookiee in his hammock.

[ _What_?] Chewbacca growled without opening his eyes.

"I need to copy this," Solo said, moving to the haphazard bank of electronic hardware the Wookiee had set up.

Chewbacca opened his eyes. [What's _this_?] he wanted to know. Solo held up the small cartridge and the Wookiee narrowed his eyes. [Lowmon's?]

" _Dad's_ ," Solo replied sourly.

Chewbacca sat up. [Is it encrypted?]

Solo slid the cartridge into place and muttered, "Let's find out."

The small screen came to life a moment later and Solo groaned, " _Password_." He shook his head irritably. "Pathetic, Dad…"

It only took them a minute to break the password, and then information started scrolling down the screen. A lot of it consisted of mathematical formulas, but there were notes in Basic as well as several visuals.

[Have you shown the princess?] Chewie asked quietly and Solo shook his head.

"It just fell out of my pocket." He ran a hand over his face. "Damn it, Chewie, what was he thinking?"

[Perhaps he wanted to help?]

"If he wanted to give this to her, why didn't he? Why give it to me? And why not tell me? Why be so secretive?"

[Maybe because, like you, he didn't want to be seen being helpful?]

Solo glared at his friend then said hotly, "Copy that, would you? I need a shower." And stormed from the cabin.

….

Freshly washed and dressed, Leia was sitting on the acceleration couch, with the reader Solo had provided, trying to make sense of Lowmon and Perron Solo's notes. Most of it was too technical for her; dealing with high level genetics. What she could understand seemed benign enough, but Perron's previous mention of his discoveries being applied to stormtroopers scared her. She just hoped there was someone in the Rebel Alliance who would be able to understand the research well enough for them to be able to do something about it, and found herself wishing Solo's father was with them. His help would have been invaluable.

She felt a wave of irritation as she considered the poor timing that had resulted in Perron Solo's capture, then looked at the freshly washed Corellian who was hunched over a readout at the technical station nearby. Solo's body language was tense and intractable, and told her quite clearly that he didn't want to discuss his decision with her or the discovery of his father's notes in his vest. But Leia had to admit that she was worried about him going to Coruscant. The _Falcon_ and its crew had been on the Empire's 'wanted' list even before the Death Star. To fly into the heart of the Empire seemed suicidal. And now it seemed the bounty Jabba the Hutt had placed on Solo would have him being hunted by every low-life imaginable.

Leia sighed, then hastily switched her attention back to the reader in her hand as Solo turned to look at her. She felt him studying her and hoped he hadn't realised she'd just been watching him.

"Make any sense?" he asked.

Leia shook her head. "No." She looked at him and admitted, "We need your father."

Solo snorted and turned back to what he'd been doing, and Leia wondered how he'd react if she suggested they go straight to Coruscant. She was feeling guilty about Perron's capture and, while it was nothing like the loss of her own father, Leia did not want to feel responsible for the death of _Han's_ father. The risk of capture on Coruscant was extraordinarily high, but she felt she owed it to Perron Solo to try and rescue him. He _had_ saved her life. And his help and expertise would be invaluable to the Rebellion.

But Leia knew that if she returned to base, there was no way Rieekan would let her go on any mission to Coruscant. She hadn't been in Imperial City since before the destruction of Alderaan and the prospect of returning terrified her. In the light of her Death Star trauma, it was a mission General Rieekan or any of the other Alliance leaders would have made sure she didn't get.

And then there was the wild card that was David Taylor. _Commander_ David Taylor who was now running with Bel Iblis's rebellion. She'd seen him maybe once since leaving Alderaan for her senatorial tenure on Coruscant. He certainly hadn't been wearing a beard then, and she was shocked that she hadn't immediately recognised him.

Solo had intimated that Taylor was an 'old flame' and there was some truth to his suggestion, but nothing Leia would ever admit to. Certainly not to Solo. Taylor had been a good friend despite being five years her senior, or maybe because of it. But she had also spent the small part of her youth that wasn't caught up in politics fantasising about the dark-haired young man. And the first time he had kissed her had left her unable to wait for the next time. Then he had kissed her passionately, just before she had left for Coruscant and, while she'd said nothing to Taylor at the time, Leia had swiftly come to the conclusion that she couldn't understand what people saw in it. In her opinion, that sort of kissing was much too messy and undignified.

And now Taylor was back, with five thousand Alderaanian refugees. For a moment Leia wondered if Mon Mothma and the Generals knew of their existence, then swiftly decided that of course they did. Then wondered why they hadn't told her. Was Mon Mothma still so ticked off with Garm that she couldn't tell Leia about the survival of five thousand Alderaanians?

Righteous anger blossomed in the princess and she put the reader down, unable to concentrate on it. Rieekan would have told her, she decided, but she could easily see Dodonna, Madine and Mon Mothma choosing to hide something so colossal from her. Afraid she would rush to join the rest of the Alderaanians. Afraid they would no longer have their sad little princess to trot out to boost the morale of the troops or to impress prospective financiers.

Leia hung her head in her hands, hating the political strings that seemed to bind her at every turn, and wishing life didn't have to be so complicated. She considered the nearby Corellian and decided that he was complication personified, and yet there was an unsullied _cleanness_ about him. A lack of political subterfuge. Despite the fact that she knew so little about him, Leia knew she could trust Han. Implicitly.

 _Han thinks I abandoned him when he was fourteen._

She couldn't help wondering what Perron had meant by his statement and once again found herself wondering what had happened between Han and his father. The fact that they hadn't spoken for over ten years, yet Perron kept an Academy holo of his son, suggested a reluctant fondness despite the hostility they displayed toward each other.

Luke announced himself with a pleasant hello and broke her train of thought as he walked into the main hold, fresh out of the sonic shower. Leia raised her eyes to look at him, but not her head, and wondered where the boy from Tatooine found his energy and why she felt so much older than him. He always managed to seem bright and eager, although even that had been tempered by his experiences over the last four months. _Comes from having a childhood_ , a part of her thought enviously.

She forced herself to smile at him as he sat beside her and realised that a lack of childhood was something she and the Corellian had in common, but at opposite ends of the spectrum. For some reason Solo's father had left him when he was fourteen, forcing Han to survive alone, and yet she had been well entrenched in galactic politics by the time she was the same age. And, while Leia knew Luke had worked on his uncle's farm, she suspected that, at fourteen, he'd spent a lot of his time with his friends.

Looking at Luke as he leaned over to read the information on the reader she was holding, Leia realised she envied Luke his childhood but not his naivety.

"Do you understand any of that?" he asked guilelessly, and Solo made an amused sound through his nose.

Luke frowned at the Corellian and Leia shook her head and said, "No."

Looking at her, Luke asked, "Have we got anyone in the Alliance who will?"

"Probably not," Solo muttered churlishly to himself.

"We _should_ go to Coruscant," Luke said emphatically, and Leia found herself looking at Solo to see what his reaction to the suggestion would be.

Solo turned his chair slowly to face them, regarded them both while he judged how seriously to take Luke's proposition, and then shook his head emphatically. " _No_."

"But we can help-" Luke started, but Solo cut him off.

"No."

"You're being unreasonable," Luke grouched.

"I'm the _Captain_ ," Solo replied, grinning humourlessly. "I'm allowed."

Leia traded a look of exasperation with Luke then said, "He has a point, Han."

Solo glared at her and snapped, "You want to go to Coruscant? After what Vader did to you on the Death Star?" Leia stiffened and was about to reply when Solo said, "If Dodonna and Rieekan found out that I'd taken you to Coruscant, they'd kill me!" He ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "That's assuming we even make it out of Coruscant alive!"

"Do you know where Shenegar is?" Luke asked.

"What if I do?"

Leia aimlessly shifted the reader on the table. "Do you have any idea how you're going to get your father out?"

"I got _you_ out of the Death Star," he growled. "I'll think of something."

Leia's concern for the smuggler's survival rose dramatically and she wracked her brain trying to remember Shenegar's location herself.

"Isn't he on the other side of the planet from the Emperor?" she asked. "In one of the equatorial hot zones?"

"Southern Hemisphere," Solo corrected. "Hot, but not tropical."

"I think we should go now," Leia said reluctantly. "We'll have a better chance of getting your father out before they reactivate his micro-chip."

"Micro-chip?" Luke shuddered, appalled.

"All Imperial employees are micro-chipped," Leia said.

"Were you?" Luke asked.

Leia nodded and looked at Solo, who nodded as well. Luke's mouth fell ajar. "I've never heard of this!" he stammered. "Did you get them out?"

Solo shook his head and said, "They can't be removed."

"But they can be _re-tasked_ ," Leia said.

"For a _lot_ of credits," Solo argued.

"You and I could be registered as employees," Leia told him. "That would get us in easily."

Solo shook his head at her incredulously. "You know where to go for 're-tasking', Princess?"

"No," Leia admitted, "but I'm sure you do."

"And the credits for this will magically appear from…?"

"You," Leia said.

" _Me_?!"

"The reward you got on Yavin should more than cover it," Leia reasoned, and Solo was momentarily rendered speechless. "You _do_ still have at least some of it left, don't you?"

"I need that to pay back Jabba!" Solo said hotly.

"I'm sure the Rebellion will replace it once we return with your father," she assured him.

"What about me and Chewie?" Luke asked.

"We could use you to get into the Detention Centre," Leia suggested, then added grimly, "Prospective experimental subjects."

"Why does this sound familiar?" Solo growled.

"It _did_ get us _in_ ," Luke admitted. "Although getting _out_ was a little hit and miss…"

"A day, maybe two to get our chips re-tasked," Leia said, concentrating on her plan. "Then in and out of Shenegar's in an afternoon. Probably during the shift change."

She looked at Solo, waiting for his approval, and Luke nodded. "Sound's good to me," he said. "I say we go."

Solo regarded the princess for a long moment then asked, "You sure you're ready for this?"

Leia nodded sharply then said, "Your father saved my life, Han."

"What if he refuses to go back to the Rebellion with you? He could, you know."

"That will be his choice. I hope he helps us, but whether he does or not, I still feel obliged to get him away from Shenegar. He was safely hidden on Galadan before he got involved with us. And the knowledge he has…" Leia paused, choosing her words carefully. "I don't want to see it in the wrong hands."

Solo nodded and wagged a finger at her. "If you hadn't admitted you were doing this as much for the Rebellion as for some guilt complex you have, I wouldn't have believed you." A smile touched Leia's lips and Solo got to his feet. "Let me run it past Chewie," he said, and headed down the ring corridor towards the Wookiee's cabin.

Watching him go, Leia prayed they were doing the right thing, then Luke said, "Okay, what do I need to know about Coruscant?"

To be continued in _Under Coruscant_.


End file.
